He Comes First
by ruthless527
Summary: Rose is Adrian's guardian and best friend. He wants more but she pushes him away for reasons he can never know, his very life at stake. Can she keep the love she feels for him hidden and will Dimtri and Tasha's return after two years make things worse?
1. Chapter 1

**Well, here is the Rose and Adrian story I've been wanting to write. I hope this story is as well recieved as my other stories, Change of Scenery and The Chosen One. Feedback is greatly appreciated.**

**As before, I don't own Vampire Academy.**

**Dimitri POV**

I can't believe I'm back here, the Moroi Royal Court. Tasha and I have been living in Russia for the past two years, as far away from_ her _as we could get. The her that I am referring to is Rose Hathaway, former student and the love of my life. We had fallen in love but the circumstances in our lives prevented anything from coming of our relationship. I left to be Tasha's guardian right after the incident in Spokane, hoping that time and distance would help me get over her. It hasn't really, I still think about her all the time. Tasha knows about what happened between Rose and I, and she seems to think I've recovered, but I haven't. Tasha is a good distraction some nights, and now as result, we are expecting a baby. On one hand, I am so happy. I always wanted to be a father. But on the other hand, I feel so guilty because I wish Rose was the mother of my child. But what's done is done. You can't change the past, no matter how hard you wish you could.

The reason we're coming back is purely political. Tasha has been campaigning for Moroi to use offensive magic along with their guardians and the Queen has finally relented, letting a committee form to discuss the details. Tasha is head of this committee, so we're going to be here for a while.

I help Tasha up to our room and unpack the bags then help her get settled into bed. It was a long trip and she is five months along, so she tires quickly. I'm not tired yet, so I decide to go down to the Court bar to see if I can find any guardians I know hanging out there. I go up to the bar and take a seat at an empty stool. I order a beer and look around the room until I see a couple guardians I used to work with back at the academy. They see me and nod in recognition. I keep scanning the room and almost fall out of my chair when I see her. She's sitting at a corner table with a very drunk Adrian Ivashkov. My heart starts beating faster as I look at her, still as beautiful as the last time I saw her. Her gorgeous brown hair that I always loved to touch is a little shorter now, hitting just below her shoulders. Looking at her now, I still have the urge to run my fingers through those silky locks. Her eyes look a little sadder than when I used to get lost in them, but I can still see the spark in them. I really messed up when I left her two years ago. Now she has Adrian with his arm around her shoulder and talking very closely with her. You would think they were a couple if it wasn't for her annoyed expression. I laugh softly to myself thinking about how he was always following her around the school trying to get her attention. Looks like some things never change. I see her check her watch and get up from the table and walk in my direction. She leans forward against the bar to my right, not noticing me, and talks to the bartender.

"Hey Sam, it's time for his coffee." she says like it's a schedule or something. The bartender, Sam I guess his name is, chuckles and pulls out a mug.

"Has he proposed to you yet, doll?" he asks amused. She lets out a big sigh and laughs lightly.

"No, not yet. Oh and please turn off the karaoke machine. If I have to hear him sing that damn song to me again, heads will roll." she says seriously. This must be a regular thing. She still hasn't noticed me so I figure I'll have to take the first step.

"Hello Rose. How are you doing?" I ask from beside her. She freezes and doesn't say anything for a moment, maybe trying to figure out if it's really me. She slowly turns her head and looks over at me. She looks stunned at first, but then a smile spreads across her face and she jumps into my arms.

"Dimitri, holy shit. Is it really you? Om my gosh, where's Tasha? Is she here too?" Wow, that was a little unexpected. She acting like we're just old friends and I never broke her heart. Maybe she never loved me like I loved her. At least she's happy to see me and not wanting to kill me.

I hug her back, not wanting to let her go, she smells so good. She pulls out of my embrace and looks at me with a big grin, waiting for me to answer her. "Yes, Tasha is in our room laying down, long flight." She nods in understanding, still seeming happy to see me.

"Maggie told me we were getting a new guardian. That must be you. Damn," she says a little disappointed. "I was hoping it was a single guy I could get to before Lord Shitfaced over there could get to him and threaten to send him to guard someone in Greenland if he dared ask me out. This shit is getting old." she says with a big sigh. I must look as confused as I am because she lets out a humorless laugh. "I'll explain later. Right now, I have to get him home and into bed." She grabs the cup of coffee and starts to head back to his table. She turns around to face me again. "It's good to see you again Dimitri. Maybe we can all get together tomorrow and catch up. I'd love to see Tasha again." she smiles as I nod in agreement. Man, this is so bizarre.

One of the guardians I recognized earlier, Guardian Conner, comes over and takes the seat next to me. "She's still hot as ever, hey Belikov. She used to drive me insane back at St Vlads, still does. Too bad she's still off limits. Ivashkov is so in love with her, he won't let anyone get close to her, even though she won't have anything to do with him outside her guarding duties. It's quite amusing to watch. See." he points in the direction of Rose's table. I look over and see Adrian on one knee holding her hands like he's proposing. Rose looks sympathetic and tries to get him off the floor. "Happens just about every weekend. He goes on some date with a Royal and then ends up here, trying to get Rose to marry him. Well, if he's anything, he's persistant." he says as he takes another drink of his beer.

I then hear Adrian yell something to the Sam the bartender with Rose shaking her head frantically and waving her hands in front of her face behind him. The guardians around me start to laugh to themselves. "Sam. where's the microphone. I need to show my Little Dhampir how much I love her and need her. Where is it?" he slurs. Sam looks a little uneasy lying for Rose, but he looks over and sees the murderous expression on her face and does the right thing if he wants to live.

"Sorry Lord Ivashkov, the machine has broken down again. The repairman can't get here to fix it until Wednesday." Rose looks relieved as Adrian pounds his fist on the bar. He finally looks my way and we lock eyes. We never got along, and I'm not going to start pretending now.

"Dhampir." he says dryly as a greeting to me.

"Moroi." I respond back. He smirks at me but turns around and clumsily walks back to Rose who puts her arms around his waist to keep him up. She walks him back over to the table and sits him down. She starts to walk away when he reaches out and pulls her into his lap and tries to kiss her neck. Pulling away from him, she pries his hands off her and stands up. Rose strolls over to a table of guardians and gives them that man eating grin that few can resist.

"Who wants to help me get him to bed. If he grabs my ass again I swear I'll beat him to a pulp. And if I do that again, Tatiana said she'll send my to guard some Moroi scientist in Antartica counting penguins, so I need your help." she says so sweetly I'm surprised they all don't jump at the chance. No one seems to be volunteering and Rose looks desperate. What the hell, I'm not doing anything right now. This should be interesting.

"I'll help you Rose." I tell her and her face beams in appreciation. She grabs my hand and I feel the same electricity I felt the time we were under Victor's lust spell. She must have felt it too, because I saw her flinch when we made contact, but didn't let go of my hand.

"Come on Adrian, Dimitri and I are going to get you home." She told him as she placed one of his arms over her shoulders and lifted him out of his seat. I get his other side and we drag him out and walk over to his building. Of course he would live so close to the bar. The whole way there he wouldn't shut up. He just kept going on and on about wanting Rose.

"Rose, you know we're supposed to be together. I can never love anyone like I love you. Please, just stop this rediculous charade and marry me already. We can have a houseful of little baby dhampirs running all over the house. Doesn't that sound wonderful?" Rose just rolled her eyes, like she's heard this a hundred times before. I kinda feel sorry for the guy, if he really loves her this much.

"Adrian, you know we can't be together. You need to find yourself a nice Moroi to be with and have little baby moroi running all over the house. That sounds even better. What about Denise you had dinner with tonight? I thought she was very nice." she tries to convince him but he isn't paying attention to what she's saying at the moment. We step into the elevator and Rose hits the button for the third floor and we step back against the wall. Adrian manages to take his arm off my shoulder and wrap Rose up in a big sloppy hug.

"Oh god Rose. I hate this world we live in." he wimpers. "Let's just run off and live among the humans, then we could be together, just you and me. No one would judge us. We could be happy." he cries into her shoulder. She pats his back and tries to push him off a little so I grab his arm again and stand him up straight and off of her. The elevator dings and the doors open at our floor. We drag out a now passed out Adrian and get to his door. Rose digs into her pants pocket looking for the keys. She finds them and fumbles slightly trying to get the key to go into the lock. Finally she pushes the door open and we pull him in the apartment and his room and throw him on the bed.

Rose puts both hands hands on the back of her hips and stretches out her back. She walks over and stops a couple feet from me. "Thanks Dimitri. Even though he doesn't live that far away, he tends to get heavy." She looks over to the bed and his sleeping form. "I guess I should get him undressed so he can sleep comfortably." she says while rubbing the back of her neck. She seems to act more like his mother than his guardian. She plops down on the edge of the bed and starts taking off his shoes and throwing them into the closet with a loud thud. I can't believe she does all this for him. I have a feeling she loves him more than she'll ever let him know. She looks over to me and smiles. "I know it looks like I put up with a lot more than I should with him, but I owe him a lot. After you left, he helped me put my heart back together. He's my best friend. He really is a lot better sober. How about tomorrow, you and Tasha come over for lunch and we can get reaquainted?" she asks. Well, since tomorrow is Sunday and Tasha doesn't start working until Monday, I don't think Tasha will mind. I'm about to tell her that lunch sounds like a good idea, when l see her yanking off his pants and nearly falling to the floor. She throws them into the hamper and starts unbuttoning his shirt. "Hey, can you help me hold him up so I can get this off him?" She struggles to get his arm out of the sleeve so I do what I can to help keep him from falling on her.

Once he's undressed she pulls the covers over him and kneels down by his head. She gently brushes his hair off his face and kisses his forehead. "Goodnight Adrian." she whispers to him and stands up to walk over to me. We walk out and she locks the door behind her.

"Tomorrow for lunch sounds nice, Rose. Are you sure Adrian won't mind?" I ask.

"Are you kidding? He'll do anything for me. Haven't you been paying attention all night?" she teases. She must have him wrapped around her little finger. Lucky bastard.

**Okay, please review and let me know what you think, and thanks for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. You all rock!**

**Rose POV**

I can't believe Dimitri's here. Seeing him again last night was so confusing. I thought when I looked at him, all those feelings of the love we had were going to come washing over me, but they didn't. When I looked into his eyes, all I felt was that of a good friend, nothing romantic. Sure, the attraction was still there because, well, he's so freakin' hot! But that was it. I look over to my clock and see that Adrian needs to be waking up in about an hour. So I get up and jump in the shower to get ready for my day. Sundays are my days off, but I always spend them helping Adrian recover from his Saturday night binges. I don't mind. I don't have anything or anyone else to do. I like taking care of Adrian. It makes me feel needed. I'm such a hypocrite. I keep trying to get him settled down with a nice Moroi girl when selfishly I hope he never finds anyone else.

I put on my favorite comfy jeans and a nice red top and head over to Adrian's to get him out of bed. I walk in his room and he hasn't moved an inch since I left him last night. Before I wake him up, I always take a few moments just admiring his sleeping face. He looks so peaceful and happy. I take a few extra seconds looking at his luscious lips wondering what they would feel like against mine. Okay, Rose, you need to stop thinking like this. You and he can never be together. I need to concentrate on keeping him alive, not seducing him. Besides, I don't want to endanger his career by having a scandalous relationship with his guardian. The Queen and I both agreed that he needs to marry a nice respectacle Moroi, preferably royal. She and I have a very unique relationship. We hate each other on the surface, but have a respect for each other. We have lunch once a month to talk about everything. I'm the only one who will argue with her and tell her how it is, whether she likes it or not. She's a lot me in that we both like to argue, and we both want what's best for Adrian. She knows how he feels about me, and how I feel about him, that's why I'm his guardian. She knows no one else will do whatever it takes to keep him safe. I owe him my life. After Dimitri left me for Tasha, I was so heartbroken. Adrian stayed by my side and let me cry on his shoulder for days, never complaining once. We never dated because I knew it was no use, but he became more important to me than anyone, even Lissa. She was so hurt that I didn't tell her before about me and Dimitri that she wouldn't talk to me. We're okay now, but it won't ever be like it was.

I give him a kiss on his cheek like I always do and grab the covers and yank them off him. He stirs, feeling the cold air on him now. I shake his shoulders to wake him. "Good morning, sunshine." I say cheerfully. He hates that. He groans and slowly opens his eyes to see my smiling face.

"What's so good about it?" he asks groggily.

"Well, you're alive for one. Oh, and we are having guests for lunch today so get your ass out of bed and into the shower." I tell him as I look through his closet for something he can wear.

"And who are we entertaining for lunch?" he asks as he slowly sits up in his bed and watches me rummage around his room.

"Tasha Ozera and Dimitri are here. I thought it would be nice to catch up." He looks surprised and grabs my wrist as I walk passed him and stops me.

"Dimitri? Is that such a good idea?" He's probably remembering the hell I went through when he left.

"It's fine Adrian. When I saw him last night, I was really okay. I think I'm truely over him, thanks to you." I say with a smile. "Now get your ass in the shower while I go get started on lunch.

"Are you going to join me in the shower Little Dhampir?" he asks like always. It never gets old for him.

"Sorry Adrian, I already had a shower. Next time, I promise."

"Yeah, that's what you said last week." he says as he pulls off the undershirt he slept in. Man, he has the most beautiful chest, shoulder and arm muscles I've seen on a moroi. God, I hope I don't start drooling.

"I forgot I said that. I promise I'll remember next week though." I say jokingly.

"You said that last week too." he mumbles as he shuts the bathroom door behind him. I wonder what he would do if one Sunday I actually did join him in the shower. Probably have a heart attack. Better not risk it.

I go to the kitchen and start getting lunch ready, which consists of calling the Italian restaurant at Court and have them deliver a lasagna to Adrian's apartment while I get out the plates and silverware. I never learned how to cook. I should've paid more attention in Christian's culinary science classes. I walk around the apartment and straighten things up and throw out any empty booze bottles I find.

After about an hour, Adrian emerges from the bathroom looking handsome as ever. I can't help but stare at him. "See something you like, Little Dhampir?" he asks with a smirk on his face.

"In your dreams, Ivashkov." I tell him. I can't let him know that I really do like what I see if I have any chance of getting him to get over me and move on with someone else. So I push him away, like always. He just shrugs and sits himself down on his couch and turns on the tv. I hand him his hangover cocktail I made for him and he drinks it up. It's the only thing we've found that helps him with his Sunday morning headaches. "Why don't you go down to the feeders before they get here. I don't need you being a grouch when they come over." He can get a little bitchy when he hasn't fed in a while. He sighs and gets off the couch and heads to the door.

"Yes dear." he says sarcastically and leaves. I can't help but smile when he says that.

It's lunch time now and the food is here and Adrian is back and watching tv with me sitting next to him. I hear a knock on the door and jump up excited to let our guests in. I pull Adrian up with me so he can welcome them too. He shuffles behind me, not as eager as I am for our get together. I open the door and see a smiling Tasha in front of me with Dimitri standing behind her. I let out a girly squeel when I see her and give her a big hug. I don't know why I like her so much all of a sudden. I guess I've done a lot of growing up this past year. When I hug her I feel a hard bump on her stomach. I back away and look down and see that she is pregnant. I feel the faintest of pains in my heart knowing that it's Dimitri's baby, but then I remember how he wanted to have a family, and I can't help but feel so excited for them.

"Holy crap, you're pregnant." I shout. Both of their faces beam with bright smiles and I hug her again and pull her into the room. I give Dimitrii a hug and congratulate him while Adrian gives Tasha a kiss on her cheek in greeting. Adrian glares at Dimitri, a silent warning to watch his step around me. I love how he can be so protective of me. I elbow him in the ribs to remind him to be civilized. He then he reaches his hand out to shake Dimitri's. We all walk into the dining room and sit down for lunch.

Tasha and Adrian are both on the same committee for offensive magic so they spend lunch talking about that while Dimitri and I chat about our encounters with Strigoi and show each other our battle scars. I don't have as many, not because I haven't had to battle Strigoi, which I have, but because when your charge is a Spririt user that can heal, you just don't get as many. I try to keep our conversation quiet because Adrian hates me talking about the time I almost died.

It happened when Adrian was on a business trip in Europe and we were heading back to the hotel. Six Strigoi jumped in front of us. It was Adrian, me and his other guardian, Guardian Smith. I pushed Adrian back against a wall and stood in front of him fighting, making sure no one got past me. Smith took down two and I already had another three staked, but the last one was really good. I was getting tired and he was scratching the hell out of me with his nails, which felt more like claws. I scraped my stake across his face which pissed him off more than anything. I guess he didn't want to play with me anymore because he grabbed my hair and pulled my head back, exposing my neck and bit down. I remember hearing Adrian scream before blackness took me over. Apparently, Smith was able to get to me and stake the Strigoi through the back before I died. Adrain healed me and carried me back to the hotel where I eventually recuperated.

I thought I was being quiet when telling that story to Dimitri, but as I finish, I noticed that it's very quiet. I look over to Adrian and see the pain in his eyes I saw when I woke up after that incident. He hates leaving on trips now knowing that at any time, I could die trying to save his life. He excuses himself from the table and walks into the kitchen with our dirty plates in his hand. I know I need to go talk to him, so I excuse myself and suggest they make themselves comfortable in the living room while I get the coffee. I walk in the kitchen and see him standing in front on the sink with both hands on the counter, staring blankly ahead. I know he's pissed, but I gingerly walk up behind him anyway.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think you were listening. I never would have said anything if I knew." I feel so bad bringing that up again. I should never tell that story ever again. He doesn't move or say anything. I walk up closer and put my hand on his shoulder which he quickly shakes off. That hurt. He straightens up and heads over the the cabinet in the kitchen that houses his liquor.

"I need a drink." he mumbles. I hate it when he drinks on Sundays. I open my mouth to say something, but he glares at me in a way to remind me who the boss is. I also hate it when he pulls rank on me. But I glare right back at him.

"At least pour it into a glass, and go easy on the sauce, we have company." I say as I hand him a a glass. I get the tray of coffee and cookies ready and head into the living room where Dimitri and Tasha are cuddled up together on the couch. It's hard seeing a happy couple when you're fighting with your, whatever Adrian is to me, friend, boss, whatever. I put on a fake smile and sit on Tasha's other side while Adrian flops down on the recliner and turns a football game on. He looks bored which is pissing me off since I don't want them to see this side of our relationship. I give him another hard look and he returns it, all noticed by our guests. I decide the best thing to do is ignore him.

I turn to Tasha and start talking babies with her. "So when are you due?" This conversation should keep me busy for a while. Pregnant women love to talk about babies and can talk forever.

"I have another four months." she beams.

"Do you know what you're having?" I keep the conversation going.

"No. We want to be surprised." she says as she holds Dimitri's hand. He looks over to her and smiles while giving her hand a little squeeze. I know I'm over him and I am genuinely happy for them, but seeing them be like that in front of me is still a little hard.

"Hey, if you have a girl, you can name her Rose?" I jokingly suggest. They both have a bit of a shocked look on their face and Tasha stammers out a response.

"Well, uh, we haven't really discussed names..." she tries and Dimitri seems to be at a loss for words

"I was just kidding." I laugh. I know they would never name their daughter after one of his ex-girlfriends. That just ridiculous. Relief washes over their faces and I see Adrian trying to keep an amused smile off his face. "Well, we have to go shopping some time. I love buying baby stuff. It's so cute. And I insist when the baby's here that I babysit. I just love babies. I make sure I have at least one shift a week at the Court nursery." I tell both of them. They both look a little hesitant at my offer. "I'm really good with kids. Ask Adrian. His sister's kids love me." I tell them. They look over to Adrian and he shrugs.

"Yeah, the kids think they're Auntie Rose is the greatest person alive. My sister on the hand is still mad at you for teaching Roman how to throw a proper punch at the age of three. My brother in law had a black eye for three days after that little lesson." he laughs. I can't believe he told them that story. Dimitri looks amused and is trying not to laugh while Tasha looks a little horrified. I don't know why she would considering she teaches people how to fight.

After we finish talking, I walk them to the door while Adrian stays in his chair sulking. I tell Dimitri that I plan on training at the gym in a few hours if he would like to join me so I can kick his ass and he accepts. I say goodbye and give Tasha one last hug before shutting the door. I can't believe he behaved so rudely to them. I turn and go stand between Adrian and the tv with my arms crossed over my chest.

"Were you trying to be a big ass or does it just come naturally?" I huff. I hate it when he gets like this. He looks up at me and narrows his eyes.

"I guess I'm just a natural. Now will you please move. I'm trying to watch the game." Fine. I walk into the kitchen and start cleaning up the mess as loudly as I can, slamming cupboards and clanking plates. When I'm done I walk back to living room and grab my bag.

"I'm leaving. If you need anything, don't call me." I warn. I don't like it when we fight like this so I turn to leave before he can say anything to piss me off even more.

"Whatever you say." I hear him yell at me before I slam the door behind me. God, he can be such an asshole.

**Thanks for reading. Don't forget to push that green button and review. It makes my day.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for all the awesome reviews. They make my day.**

**Do I own Vampire Academy? No, I do not.**

**Rose POV**

Why does he have to act like that? All I wanted was a nice visit with some old friends and he has to act so, so...ugh. Is it too much to ask for a little support? He can be so infuriating sometimes. Just thinking about his attitude is pissing my off more. Maybe an extra long workout today will help me calm down. After I get my workout clothes on and grab my iPod, I go run around the grounds at court. It's late summer now and the weather is perfect for running ourdoors. The moon is shining brightly and the little lake in the park is reflecting its light perfectly. I find it very calming running among all the trees and flowers. I also like the fact that I can practically disappear out here. I run for about a good hour before I head to the gym to meet Dimitri.

I walk in and I see him doing his stretches. It reminds me of the times at St Vlads that he trained me. Those were great times, that's when we fell in love. I push those memories to the back of my mind as I walk over to him, drinking my water. I stand in front of him and he looks up at me and smiles. "You ready to get your ass handed to you, comrade?" I ask. He gives me a little laugh in response.

"You're the one going down, Roza." he says too confidently. He probably thinks he taught me everything I know. How naive of him. I've been training with the best these past couple years, at the Queens request, since I'm guarding her nephew. This is going to be fun. "Tasha had a great time at lunch today." he says as we get in our positions on the mat.

"That's great. She looks terrific. Must be the pregnancy glow I hear so much about." I say as I throw a punch to his ribs he wasn't expecting. Ha. He winces but gets back into position.

"She wasn't sure she wanted to come considering our history." he tells me as he tries to connect his foot to my chest, but I dodge him and knock him down with a counter move. He lands with a thud.

"What did she think I was going to do? Throw you on the table and have my way with you in front of everyone? Give me a little credit." I say offended as I wait for him to get back off the floor.

"No, but I think that she was afraid you were going to try to steal me back." I look him in the eyes to see if he was joking or not, but his face was totally serious. I couldn't help it, but I start laughing so hard, I fall to the floor and get a stitch in my side. He doesn't look too pleased with my reaction. I try to calm myself down and wipe the tears out of my eyes before I speak again.

"I'm sorry, that was rude. Is she still under that impression?" he said earlier that she had a nice time, so I assume she's not jealous anymore.

"No. After seeing the way you and Adrian act around each other, she feels much better about us spending time together." He has an amused look on his face as he tells me this. I don't get it because Adrian and I were pretty much fighting or ignoring each other the whole time. He sees my questioning look and elaborates. "You two act like an old married couple. It's very cute." Okay, that was the wrong thing to say to me right now. I strike out hard and make contact with his nose, which makes a very loud crack. Ah hell, I think I just broke his nose. God, this is not a very good day for me. He is holding his nose trying to keep the blood from getting everywhere. I grab my towel and hand it to him.

"Oh shit, I'm sorry." I run over to my bag and pull out my cell phone and dial Adrian. Hopefully he's willing to help. He doesn't answer. Damn caller ID. He's still mad at me. Well, I guess he's gonna have to heal the old fashioned way. I walk him to the clinic so the doctor can fix him up. I wait in the lobby until he's done, feeling even more guilty than I did before. He walks out with a big white bandage on his nose and the beginnings of two black eyes. I can't help but smile at the damage I did. He glares at me and I put my smile away and walk with him back to his room. "I'm really sorry for that but you should have blocked it." I try to put the blame on him, but it doesn't work. He opens his door and Tasha comes running over and puts her hands on his face to see what I did. "I'm sorry Tasha. I should know better than to bring him back broken." I tease him. Tasha looks like she's trying not to smile.

"Yes, Rose. Next time I would like him returned in the same condition you borrowed him in." We both laugh and I can see Dimitri start to blush and walk to his room to change. "We had a very nice time this afternoon. You and Adrian should come over for dinner some night so we can return the favor." she tells me. I know she's just being polite so I give her a generic response.

"Sure, that sounds great. Just let me know when. Well, I need to go clean up. I hope what happened today doesn't mean you won't let Dimitri train with me anymore. I promise to go easy on him next time." She chuckles. Teasing Dimitri is fun.

"Of course. See you later Rose." I walk away from their apartment and start walking back to my room. I have the urge to go see if Adrian is still mad, but I decide to leave him be. If he wants to talk to me, he knows where to find me. I take a shower and then flop down on my couch and run through all the channels on the tv, not finding anything of interest on to watch. I turn it off and look around my apartment for something else to do. God, I have no life. I want to call Lissa and see how she's doing, but she and Christian are on vacation before school starts again. I don't want to disturb them. They're due back in a couple days anyway.

I decide that I need to get out of here and be around people. I change into my jeans and a tshirt and walk down to the coffee house. I order a coffee and a muffin because I forgot to eat dinner, and go sit at a little table ouside. I sip and eat as I watch people go about their business. I see a few people I know and they stop and say hello and continue on their way. As I sit alone, all I can think about is how much I miss Adrian. Maybe this afternoon wasn't all his fault. I did invite someone he doesn't like to his home without asking him first. I guess I'd be pissed too. I know he can be an ass sometimes, but most of the time we have a lot of fun together. Why do I have to be falling in love with him? He's the last person in the world I should have these feelings for, but it's getting harder and harder to resist him. My life sucks. I sit back in my chair and close my eyes thinking about the mess I've got myself into. If I don't stay focused on guarding him, he's going to die. Being in love is a distraction he can't afford. I hear someone pull out the chair next to me. "Is this seat taken?" a familiar voice asks me. I open my eyes to see Adrian looking at me with those beautiful green eyes I seem to get lost in. Damn those eyes.

**Adrian POV**

Rose slams the door behind her as she storms out of my apartment. That went well. I can't believe she invited him over here for lunch. After what he put her through when he left, you would think she would want to kill him. She says she's over him, but I'm not so sure. And then Tasha shows up pregnant with his baby. Rose must be glutton for punishment. Of course she did seem genuinly happy for them. Maybe she is over him. I know for a fact, though, that he's still in love with her. His aura when she hugged him went super nova. Rose's aura is a lot harder to read with all the shadows blocking my view. I love her so much, the thought of him coming here and taking her away from me is killing me. Why did he have to show up? He's going to get in her head and make her fall in love with him again. Then he'll have it all, Rose and Tasha and their little baby. God, I hate this guy.

Of course, I shouldn't be taking it out on Rose. She's trying to do the mature thing and be friends. I don't really know why. I guess I could've been a better host for Rose's sake. I'm such an ass. Why does she put up with me like she does? She always goes above and beyond her normal guardian dutes for me. She probably just feels obligated since she feels I sacrificed so much to help her when he broke her heart. She doesn't get that it wasn't a sacrifice at all. My motives were purely selfish, I just wanted to be near her and help ease her pain. I don't think she will ever understand how much I really love her. I'm serious every time I tell her I would give up everything I have just to be with her. I just wish she loved me more than just a friend.

Thinking back to the horrid lunch party, I feel guilty for my attitude. It was important to Rose, so I should've sucked it up and played nice. Maybe I should go find her and appologize. No, she needs some cooling off time. She looked pretty pissed when she left. I think it best if I waited before I go find her. I think I'll just take a little nap.

Hmm. What time is it? I take a look at my watch and notice I've been napping for five hours. I'm surprised Rose didn't wake me up for dinner. Oh that's right, she's mad at me. Well, I am perfectly capable of getting my own dinner. I grab my keys and head out the door in search of food. As I'm walking down the sidewalk by all the little shops here at Court, I see my beautiful Rose sitting at a little table outside the coffee shop all by herself. She has her eyes closed like she is deep in thought. Probably thinking about that stupid Russian asshole she's in love with. I can see a lot of pink in her aura peeking through the shadows. Lucky bastard. I guess this is as good a time as any to say sorry. I pull out the chair beside her. "Is this seat taken?" I ask her. "I'm sorry about this afternoon. I should've been on my best behavior. I'm sorry I let you down." I tell her. She looks at me confused and shakes her head.

"No Adrian, it was my fault. I shouldn't have invited people you don't particularly care for to your home for lunch. That was too much. I'm sorry." she says.

"Rose don't be stupid. We're friends. What's important to you is important to me. I'm the one who was acting like an ass. I'm sorry if I embarrassed you in front of you guests." I tell her only to get an annoyed look back from her.

"Yes, you were an ass, but I shouldn't have invited them over in the first place." she says through gritted teeth. Great, we're fighting over who started the last fight. I don't want her to be mad at me anymore, so I'll just give in.

"Fine. You're to blame. Now can we make up?" I ask with my puppy dog eyes she can never resist. She slowly smiles at me to let me know we're good again. "Good. Now let's celebrate with a little make up sex." I suggest while waggling my eyebrows. She just rolls her eyes and playfully slaps my arm.

"Adrian, you're a pig." she laughs. I'm glad I got her smiling and laughing again. That has become my life's mission, to keep her happy.

"So what did you do this afternoon?" I see her blush at the question. I probably shouldn't have asked.

"Well, I was training with Dimitri and I broke his nose." Yes! I start laughing picturing little Rose punching that big lug in the nose. I wish I was there to see that. Rose joins me laughing at his unfortunate accident. We sit there and talk and laugh for a few hours before Rose checks her watch and gasps. "It's getting late and you have an early day tomorrow, your first day with the committee. Come on, Lord Ivashkov, let's get your ass back home." She pulls me up from my chair and walks me back to my apartment. "Have a good day tomorrow and I'll see you later." She gives me a hug and a peck on the cheek like she always does. One day, I'll break through her defenses and make her mine.

**Who thinks Rose's subconscious really wanted to break Dimitri's nose? I do. Review and let me know how I'm doing.**

**Oh, and The Chosen One isn't over yet, just been busy.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for the reviews. I would also like to thank MaxieMoose, author of Why Me? and Kismet, for all your helpful advice. **

**I don't own Vampire Academy, as if you didn't know.**

**Rose POV**

I'm so happy things are back to normal now. Adrian and I stopped fighting and made up. I hate fighting with him, though we've been doing that more and more lately. Well, I can't think about that now. I have an early shift today guarding the perimeter of the Courts. I put my black and white guardian uniform on and head out the door. Just before I step over the threshold, I notice a vase of red roses sitting on the ground. I pick them up and read the little note attached. 'Little Dhampir, No other reason than to make you smile. Adrian.' I smother my face in the fragrant blooms and inhale deeply. And just as Adrian planned, I smile thinking how thoughtful he can be.

I go to the guardian head office to punch in and find out who I'm working with today, Guardian Conner. He used to work at the academy when I was there. I used to catch him staring at me, undressing me with his eyes. I thought that now that we were both equals, he would ask me out, but Adrian has all the guardians too aftraid to even think about it. Conner's really hot, light brown hair and blue eyes, nice muscles and a wonderful smile. He could definately be a good distraction and maybe help me get over Adrian. I think I'll have some fun and flirt with him today. Maybe he'll crack and ask me out. I so need some attention only a man can provide. I thought these sex hormones calmed down after the teen years, but mine have only gotten stronger.

I walk out to my post and see that he is already there. This is gonna be fun. I walk up to him with my man eating smile and look him up and down, checking him out in a way that he notices. "Looking good, Conner. Having a good morning?" After a few moments of checking me out as well, he lets his guardian mask slide away and gives me a smile in return.

"I am now, Hathaway." One of the things I like about Conner is that he will finally flirt back with me. It took a little coaxing, but if it's just the two of us around, he'll let loose and play my little game. "I thought the purpose of these uniforms was to make us less distracting, but you are anything but." he says checking me out again.

"I'm sorry, would you like me to go away so you can keep your eyes out for trouble?"

"You are trouble Hathaway." he says with a smirk.

"But worth it." I say with a smile as I turn around and start my duty, watching the area. I put a little more swing in my hips as I walk, for his enjoyment. Eventually, I'll ware him down.

After my shift I go to the gym to train. It helps me relax and keeps me in top form to help me guard Adrian better. If anything ever happened to him because I wasn't at my best, I would never forgive myself. When I walk in, I see Dimitri over at the punching bag. Man, he looks as sexy as ever. I always loved to just watch him fight, all his muscles flexing and stretching, glistening with sweat. Okay Rose, he's not yours anymore, stop thinking of him like that. I shake off the naughty thoughts running through my head and walk over to him. "Hey comrade. How's the nose feel this morning?" I still feel guilty about that, not that I tried to hurt him on purpose. At least we Dhampirs heal quickly and he doesn't have the bandage on anymore. He stops punching and looks over to me, subltly looking my body over. I still get tingles all over when he does that.

"Sore, but nothing I can't handle." He smiles at me and continues. "Don't worry Rose, I'll pay you back soon enough." he laughs. That'll never happen.

"Yeah, yeah. Sure you will. I'll even let you completely heal first before you try to get me back. Not that it will make much of a difference, I'll still kick you ass." I go to walk away to start my weight training when he reaches out and grabs my arm and pulls me back to him, real close. He leans down to my ear, his hot breath caressing my neck, causing my spine to tingle.

"I will get you back, Roza." he whispers. I turn my head to look at his face. I see love and longing reflecting in his deep brown eyes. My heart goes wild with him so close to me. I don't say anything, not that I could if I tried, but pull my arm out of his grip and keep walking. What the hell was that about? Does he want me back? But he's having a baby with Tasha. He can't have meant it that way. He must have been talking about the rematch. But the way he said it...Why is he doing this to me? Okay Rose, you just need to focus on your workout and forget about everything else. I put my earbuds in and start lifting weights. After that I find my new trainer and work with him for a couple hours. His name is Roger Danes and is teaching me Krav Maga, Israili fighting. With all this extra training the Queen has me learning, I'm going to be more lethal than ever.

After I'm done, I drag myself to the locker room to shower. I can already tell I'm going to be so sore tomorrow. I jump in the shower and let the hot water masage my muscles. Ahhh. That feels so much better. I get dressed and head out to go find Adrian and see how his first day with the committee went. Just as I walk out of the ladies locker room, someone grabs me and pulls me around the corner and presses me against the wall. Before I can say anything, a pair of strong lips are all over mine. Immediately I know it's Dimitri. His familiar scent and the taste of his warm mouth takes me back to that night, the night Viktor's lust charm had us all over each other. My mind is telling me to push him away, he belongs to someone else and he's not Adrian. But my poor neglected body has other ideas, and it's winning. My arms automatically reach up to the back of his neck and pull him closer to me as I eagerly deepen the kiss. I hear him moan as my tongue slips past his lips and begins to explore his mouth. My whole body is craving his touch as his hands grip my hips tightly and press them against him. His mouth moves away from mine and travels down to my neck. God, this feels so good. My hands start roaming all over his chest and shoulders feeling every contour of his hard muscles. I forgot how good he felt. His hands have moved under my shirt and travel up my back, leaving goosebumps in their wake. My body doesn't really care who is touching me this way, it just wants the attention. I realize that my breathing has become labored and my heart is about to beat out of my chest. "I love you so much Roza." he purrs in my ear. I suddenly feel like someone slapped me in the face. If he loved me, he never would have left me and hurt me the way he did.

My mind and body decide that it would be in my best interest now to cooperate and I manage to push him away. "Don't say that. You have no right to say that to me anymore." I growl, remembering what I went through when he left. "Don't kiss me again." I hiss.

"Don't kiss me back then." he retorts. Talk about deja vu.

"Why are you doing this? Are you trying to hurt me again?" I ask rhetorically. Like he would admit it if he was. "You're going to have a baby, with Tasha, remember?" I can see the pain in his eyes, but I can't focus on that right now.

"Leaving you was the biggest mistake of my life. I need you back, Roza. You're the only one who gets me, who understands who I am. Tasha is wonderful, but she isn't you. She doesn't make me feel like you do. I love you, Roza. I always will." he pleads with such love and tenderness, I almost give in, but then Adrian pops into my mind. I know where my heart truely belongs, even though I can never show it. I sigh and take his face in my hands.

"Dimitri, I will always love you too, but only as a friend now. Your going to be a father. You need to focus on Tasha and really give her a chance. You two are forever connected with that baby." I take a step back away from him. "You need to get over me. It's hard, I should know, but it is possible." I turn and walk away, but not before I look over my shoulder one last time. "Good night Dimitri." I walk out of the gym. It breaks my heart, but I just can't go there anymore.

My mind then takes me back to where I was headed before Dimitri interupted me, Adrian. I go to the dry cleaners like I always do every Monday to pick up our clothes. Then I head to the Chinese restaurant and pick up our usual order. I get to his apartment and knock, but he doesn't answer. After many more minutes of pounding on the door, I get my keys out and let myself in. I look around, but Adrian isn't home. Hmm. I wonder where he is? This has been our normal routine for almost a year now, so I don't think he forgot. I put the food in the fridge and hang the clothes in his closet before I pull out my cell and try to reach him. It goes to voicemail. Okay, are we fighting again? I can't remember anymore. Maybe something happened to him. I start to get a panicky feeling in my gut not knowing where he is. I better look for him.

I run down the stairs instead of taking the elevator to save time. I walk along the sidewalk by the little shops, peeking in each one hoping to see him, but no luck. I stop on the sidewalk and thought that maybe he's still working, so I give Tasha a ring. "Hey Tasha, are you guys still working? I can't find Adrian." I ask her when she answers her phone.

"Hi Rose. No, we all left about an hour ago, He said he was going to stop by the gym to see you." The gym. Oh no, he must have seen Dimitri and I kissing. That's not good. I think I know where he is now, the bar. I thank Tasha and wish her good night and start walking to his favorite watering hole.

When I open the door and step inside, I see him sitting at the bar, downing a shot. He never drinks during the week anymore. He said just being around me helps him deal with the darkness created by using Spirit, so this drinking is drowning his sorrows. I pull out the stool next to him and sit down. I order a soda and turn to look at him. He looks so hurt as he slams the glass down after emptying it. "Adrian.."

"You don't have to say anything, Rose. If you want to get back together with Belikov, that's none of my business." he says not even looking at me. Well, he obviously didn't stay to hear the conversation after the brief make out session.

"There's nothing between Dimitri and me. We're just friends." I try to reason with him, but he just laughs.

"You forget I can see auras, Rose. I saw the lust and love beaming from you, even with the shadows. You can't fake that." he says as he downs another drink. Me and my stupid aura.

"Adrian, yes I wanted him to touch me and kiss me and whatever, but I stopped it. How long were you watching us? Did you bother to hear what I told him?" He just waves his hand to dismiss everything I just told him.

"I don't care what you said to him, I know what I saw." I don't say anything for a few minutes but stare at him hoping he will at least look at me. But he doesn't. God, he can be such a baby sometimes.

"You know, you can be the biggest ass in the entire world, you know that?" I yell at him as I'm starting to get pissed. He just smirks and looks over toward me but not meeting my gaze.

"So you've said. Now why don't you leave me alone and get back to your boyfriend." He orders himself another round of drinks. "Go!" he yells at me. I can feel the fury burning inside me. I take my soda and pour it over his head and slam the glass back down on the bar before I walk away. Why does he have to be so obstinate? He can make me so mad... I need to hit something right now. I head for the gym and make my way to the punching bags and go to town. After a few hours of punching and kicking all my anger out, I'm left with bloody knuckles. Shit. I stand there and look at my damaged hands and think about Adrian. Why do I let him push my buttons so easily? And why do I have to be in love with someone I can't be with? It seems to be a pattern for me. He's probably wasted by now. I should let him find his own way home, but if something happened to him, I wouldn't forgive myself. Damn it, why does he have this hold over me? I decide to be the bigger person and go to the bar to drag his butt to bed. I walk back in and see Sam cut him off and wave me over to take him home. I put his arm over my shoulder and make him lean his weight on me as I walk him out of the bar. Neither of us says anything to the other as I open his door and lead him to his bed.

"Do you need to pee before you sleep?" I ask. He nods so I walk him to the bathroom and wait outside the door. When he comes back out, he nearly falls on top of me, but with my quick reflexes, I catch him and put him to bed. He passes out as soon as his head hits the pillow. I remove his shoes and socks, take off his slacks and remove his button down shirt. I cover him with the blanket and stand there and look over his sleeping form. He looks so peaceful and cute when he's asleep, it's hard to stay mad at him. I wish we lived in a world where we could be together. I love him so much, it kills me to have to push him away all the time. I just want to unburrden my heart and tell him everything I feel. I climb into bed next to him and put my arm around his chest, spooning him from behind. I plant a kiss on his neck, right below his ear. "I love you Adrian." I whisper to him. knowing he can't hear me. It just feels so much better getting it off my chest this way. "I want nothing more than to be with you, to hold you like this every night, to wake up in bed with you smiling at me. I love you so much, and only you." I lay there in his bed holding him for about thirty minutes before I feel sleep starting to take over me. I reluctantly get up and walk back to my own room. I flop myself on my bed and go right to sleep, dreaming of Adrian and the life I know we can never have together.

**Thanks for reading and please review.**


	5. Chapter 5

**I hope you're enjoying the story so far. Keep the reviews coming.**

**Adrian POV**

Today is the first day that the Offensive Magic committee is meeting. The only reason I'm here is to represent the Guardians since I am head of guardian assignments. That's why none of the male guardians will ask Rose out knowing I can easily assign them to a rather unpleasant location. The thing is, I've never said I would do that, but when a guardian that Rose went on a date with moved to a little town in Greenland, they all assumed it was because of me. The fact is that his charge was from there and moved back to be with family. I never corrected this rumor, though, since it worked in my favor and didn't have to watch Rose dating someone else.

I see Tasha at the meeting and figure I better be cordial since it's important to Rose that they be friends. "Good morning, Tasha. How are you doing this morning?" I ask nicely.

"Good morning, Adrian. I'm well. Can't say the same for Dimka after your girlfriend broke his nose yesterday." she chuckles. Wow, I'm surprised she thinks Rose beating on her man is funny. I thought it was freakin' hilarious, so I laugh along with her. Hey, I'm just being polite.

"Yeah, you gotta watch out for the little ones. Rose can take down a Strigoi twice her size. She's pretty amazing." I tell her thinking about watching Rose take down Strigoi like it's nothing. She is undoubtedly the best in our world, and she's _my_ guardian. I always get a feeling of pride when I see her fight. I hope she likes the flowers I sent her this morning. She deserves to be treated to something nice for everthing she does for me. I must have a strange look on my face by the way Tasha's smiling at me right now. "What?" I ask.

"I can see how much you love her when you were talking about her just now. How long have you two been going out?" Great. Are my feelings for Rose that obvious? Why is it that Tasha knows I love her and Rose seems to be clueless, even though I've told her a million times. Rose can be very frustrating some times.

"Rose and I aren't dating. We're just friends." I don't know Tasha well enough to pour my heart out to her, so I just leave it at that. Tahsa looks at me with a knowing smile.

"Oh, well the way you act around each other, it's like you've been a couple for years." Huh? That's interesting. I wonder how Rose would react to that?

"Yeah, well, like I said, we're good friends. If you'll excuse me, I see someone I need to talk to." I tell her and walk to the other side of the room, just to end the conversation with her. Is that how other people really see us? Maybe if Rose knew this she would just give up and finally be with me if everyone thinks we're together anyway. Can't think about that now, Tasha is calling the meeting to order. Hopefully this won't be too mind numbing.

That was the most boring day ever. Six hours of my life I'll never get back. I get up from the table and stretch. I feel like a zombie. Man, I need my Rose fix, she always makes me feel better. Tonight is chinese food and movie night. I love movie night because she puts her guard down and lets me snuggle up on the couch with her. I gather my things and start to head out the door when I bump into Tasha, literally bump into her. I can be a little clutzy when I have Rose on my mind. "Oh God, Sorry Tasha. Are you alright?" I ask her as I steady her on her feet. Luckily she didn't fall down, being pregnant and all.

"Yes, I'm fine. You're sure in a hurry to get outta here." she comments. She has no idea.

"I'm going to meet up with Rose at the gym." She smiles at me and nods.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow, then. Say hello to Rose for me." she says as she walks out the door ahead of me. I start thinking on the way to the gym about mentioning to Rose what Tasha said about us looking like a couple. I wonder what she'll say. I walk into the gym, and it's empty. She must be in the shower. I lean up against the wall and wait for her to get out when I hear some noise coming from around the corner. When I take a peek to see who's being naughty, my heart stops. Rose is kissing Dimitri, and it isn't some innocent 'just friends' kiss, either. They are all over each other. Both of their auras are glowing red. I need to get out of here. I can't breath. How could she do this? She was so adament about how she didn't love him anymore, how she just wanted to be his and Tasha's friend. Some friend.

I need a drink to calm down or I'm going to kill somebody. I can't believe she lied to me like that. I guess I really can't say anything since technically we aren't together. I have no claim on her, no matter how much I wish I did. My heart feels like it's shattering into a million pieces. Why do I let her hurt me like this? Maybe I need to finally realize that Rose and I are never going to be together. She keeps telling me this, but I don't want to believe her. Well, I believe her now. She's still in love with him and I'll never be able to make her feel that way about me.

I walk into the bar and pull up a stool. Sam looks a little concerned to see me here tonight. I haven't come here to drink on a weeknight since Rose became my guardian. "Tequilla shots, Sam. And keep 'em coming." I tell him. He sighs and shrugs his shoulders, but then sets up five shot glasses with Jose Cuervo. I down the first one and feel the burn go down my throat. Ahh, that his the spot. A few more rounds like this and I'll feel much better.

As I sit here, drowning my problems with alcohol, I get an idea. I need to find out how she really feels about me. I'll give her exactly what she says she's been wanting all along, for me to finally get over her. I'll start dating someone and see how she reacts. If she gets jealous, I'll know she does care for me more than just a friend. And if she gets hurt, than that is just an added bonus for what she did to my heart tonight. And if she doesn't really care if I have another woman in my life, well then at least I'll be getting some. I haven't been with a woman since I met Rose a couple years ago. No other women interst me with Rose in my life. I take a shot glass and down another drink.

Okay, Operation Get Rose Jealous is on. The next time she fixes me up on another date, I'll fake interest and get myself a girlfriend. Be careful what you wish for Rose, you just might get it. I hear the stool next to me slide out and someone sit down. I don't have to look over to see that it's Rose, I can smell her scent wash over me. I swallow another shot down and slam the glass down on the bar in a warning not to talk to me right now. "Adrian.." she starts, but I'm not in the mood for her lame excuses, so I don't let her finish.

"You don't have to say anything, Rose. If you want to get back together with Belikov, that's none of my business." I tell her without looking at her. I can't. Seeing her will just break my heart further, if that's possible.

"There's nothing between Dimitri and me. We're just friends." she says. Does she think I'm stupid? I can't help but give a small laugh at her denial.

"You forget I can see auras, Rose. I saw the lust and love beaming from you. You can't fake that." God, I wish I could forget it. What I saw will haunt me for life. I take another shot.

"Adrian, yes I wanted him to touch me and kiss me and whatever, but I stopped it. How long were you watching us? Did you bother to hear what I told him?" She admits wanting him. That's a start. I could care less about what they talked about afterward, I don't want anymore of them in my head so I wave off whatever she was going to say.

"I don't care what you said to him, I know what I saw." Seeing is believing and I believe I'll have another drink. I down the last shot in front of me. She doesn't say anything, but I can feel her gaze burning a hole in the side of my head. She can sit there and stare forever for all I care, I'm done talking.

"You know, you can be the biggest ass in the entire world, you know that?" She yells at me. Did she really just say that to me? I laugh at the thought that she is calling me an ass. I turn my head in her direction, still not able to look at her face though.

"So you've said. Now why don't you leave me alone and get back to your boyfriend." I'm so done with this conversation. I just want to be left alone. I go to take another shot, only to see that I already finished the ones I started with. Well, time for round two. I motion for Sam to set me up again and realize she's still sitting there, not getting the hint I want her to leave. I guess I need to be more direct. "Go!" I yell at her. The next thing I know, very cold soda is dripping down the sides of my face, icecubes stuck in my hair. I can't believe she just did that. I hear her stomping out the door, obviously pissed.

For the next how many hours I go over in my mind all the times Rose and I spent together over the last couple years. Some were great, but there are also some that I wish I could never remember again. When Dimitri left her and I was with her letting her cry on my shoulder. All the times Rose got hurt protecting me from Strigoi. One of us must be a magnet for those guys, because it seems that every time we leave the Courts, we get attacked. I think that's why my Aunt, the Queen, has insisted that Rose keeps upgrading her training. I don't know how many rounds of shots I've had, but I can't even remember why I came here in the first place. I think I'll have one more round, just for the hell of it. "Sham, wa mo wown." I tell him.

"Sorry Lord Ivashkov, but I think you've had enough." he tells me. He might be right. I don't feel so good. I guess I'll just go home and go to bed. Yeah, sleep sounds real nice right now. I go to get off the stool when someone grabs my arm and pulls me off the stool and helps me stand up and walk out the door. Whoever it is smells just like Rose, well Rose's blood to be precise. I don't say anything because I'm afraid if I open my mouth, I might throw up. We get into my place, at least I think it's my place, and go into my bedroom. Oh, the bed looks so good right now.

"Do you need to pee before you sleep?" Hmmm. I better do that first. I nod and walk in the bathroom and head to the toilet. Ah, that feels so much better. I'm glad the Rose like person suggested that. I walk back out and almost fall over. Luckily that person caught me before I took a face plant on the carpet. The last thing I remember is falling on the bed.

I start waking up the next morning with the world's worst headache. Shit, it hurts. I can hear someone in the room with me. I slowly open my eyes to see who it is, and see Rose sitting on the end of my bed, her back to me. I try to sit up, but my head starts throbbing and I groan in pain and fall back to my pillow. Ah, holy hell, make the pain go away. I feel Rose get off the bed and walk over to me. I hear her place something on my night stand. "Drink that. It'll help with your headache. You have an hour to get ready for work. I got your dry cleaning yesterday, it's in the closet and there's chinese food in your fridge if you want that for lunch." she tells me. I lie back in my bed and just look at her. Memories from a dream I had last night coming back to me in flashes. Rose was laying here next to me holding me tight and confessing her love for me. If only it weren't a dream and she really did love me like I love her. But the way she was kissing Belikov yesterday, I know where her heart truely lies, and it kills me. I can't believe after everything that happened last night, she's still here helping me, but she doesn't look happy. I notice that both of her hands are bandaged, though she's trying to hide them. "Can you get up by yourself, or do you need help?" she asks. I must have been laying here looking at her longer than I thought.

"No, I got it." I say as I push myself up and sit on my bed with my legs over the side. I take the glass and down the hangover cocktail she always makes for me. I stand up from the bed and go to take my shower, walking right passed her. When I get out, I expect to see her, but the room is empty. I get dressed and go into the living room and see she's not there either. In fact, she isn't anywhere. She left without saying goodbye or even good morning. This is our biggest fight yet. I hope we manage to work something out, but I don't think we'll ever be like we were before. Our relationship is either going to be better when this is over, or worse. I pray it's better.

**Thanks for reading and please review and let me know what you think so far.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Am I Richelle Mead? No. Do I own Vampire Academy? No. Bummer.**

**Enjoy this chapter.**

**Rose POV**

I woke up, still wearing my clothes from last night. My hands are killing me, still bloody and banged up from my impromptu punching bag session last night. Looking at the clock, I quickly get up and run to the shower to wash away the blood and grime. I bandage myself up and quickly get dressed. I know Adrian is in no shape to get himself up and ready for work, with the way he was drinking last night. Remembering what happened, I'm still pissed at his behavior, but I don't want him to get in trouble at work because of it. I get to his aparment and let myself in. First thing I do is go to the kitchen and whip up the hangover cocktail that helps him feel better. When I get to his room, I can still smell the tequilla he drowned himself in last night. Disgusting.

I walk over and look at him sleeping, like I always do. This wouldn't be happening right now if Dimitri hadn't of kissed me. Damn him. Why did he have to attack me like that? Why couldn't I resist him sooner before Adrian saw us? Why couldn't Adrian stop feeling sorry for himself and listen to my explaination. Ugh, men suck. I sit down on the edge of his bed and take a few deep breaths to calm myself down before waking the grouch.

I hear Adrian groan behind me. I bet his head is hurting pretty bad. Serves him right. I contemplate not giving him the cocktail and making him suffer, but decide against being the bitch and put the glass on his nightstand. I don't like seeing him hurt, usually. "Drink that. It'll help with your headache. You have an hour to get ready for work. I got your dry cleaning yesterday, it's in the closet and there's chinese food in your fridge if you want that for lunch." He just lies there looking at me. I don't move away but watch him, wondering if he's going to start yelling at me again or fall back to sleep. "Can you get up by yourself, or do you need help?" I don't want to leave unless he's up and moving.

"No, I got it." he says as he swings his legs over the side of the bed and sits up. He drinks the cocktail in one big gulp and then stands up and walks to the bathroom, not even acknowleging my existance. He doesn't even give me a 'thank you' or 'good morning'. Bastard. Well, two can play at that game.

I leave and take myself down to the little caffeteria for guardians so I can eat something. I didn't eat dinner last night and my stomach is growling loudly. I grab a yogurt and a banana and sit down at an empty table. As I sit here eating my breakfast, I wonder if life would be easier if I just told him that I loved him too, you know, when he's awake and can hear me. We probably wouldn't be fighting so much. I let myself fantasize about what it would be like to be able to love Adrian freely. Like holding his hand in public without the glares and whispers, or being his date for all the royal dinners and balls that happen during the year. Even getting married and having a family. I smile at the thought of Adrian playing peek-a-boo with a little girl with my hair and his beatiful green eyes. I'm so wrapped up in my own little heaven in my head that I don't even hear someone sit down next to me. "You look happy this morning." I hear a voice bring me back to reality. I look over and see Guardian Conner looking at me with a smile on his face.

"Oh hey, I was just thinking." I tell him sheepishly. I can never tell anyone how I really feel about Adrian.

"Thinking about me again, huh?" he teases.

"Absolutely. I was just wondering what it would be like to rip all your clothes off and take you right here on the table in front of everyone." I lie to him wearing my man eating smile. I must sound convincing because his face pales and went all serious.

"Really?" he sounds hopefull.

"No. Not really." I confess. He scowls at me and gives me a little kick under the table. "Owe. That's harsh." I say while rubbing my leg.

"Well, you deserve it getting my hopes up like that." he says smiling so I know he's not really mad. "What are your plans today?" he asks making conversation.

"Um, I'm having lunch with a friend later and I have a late shift tonight at the front gates." I tell him while I peel my banana.

"Not training today then?" I shrug my shoulders.

"I guess I could fit it in. Did you want to spar with me?" I ask perking up. I always welcome the chance to fight with another guardian.

"Sure. I've always wondered what it would be like to kick your ass." he says with a smile.

"I've seen the way you look at my ass, and I don't think kicking it is what you were thinking of." I tease him. He immediately goes a deep shade of red. I can't help laugh at his reaction. This is just what I needed to cheer me up this morning, a good flirt session. I lean over the table so I can whisper to him. "If you beat me this afternoon, I'll let you show me exactly what you _do_ think about when you look at my ass." He's a pretty good guardian, but I'm not worried about him beating me at all. I hear him swallow and look away. Maybe I went too far, he obviously can't handle me. I stand up from the table to leave. "You want to meet in the gym, say 2o'clock?" I ask. He looks me up and down, probably wondering if sparing with me is worth it. He finally nods his head in agreement. I smile and walk away, looking back to him over my shoulder. "See you later Conner."

A few hours later, I get ready to have lunch with my friend, the Queen. I know, crazy right? But I've gotten to know her over the past couple years, and she not so bad. She gets bored being around 'yes' people all day, so she welcomes my directness. Nobody outside a few guardians know about our lunches, not even Adrian. Of course, he's usually the main topic of conversation. I'm escorted into her private parlor and take a seat, waiting for Tatiana to come in. She walks in with a huge smile on her face. "Rose, good to see you again." she says happily as she nods her head to me.

"You too, Tatiana. You seem unusually happy this afternoon. Did you have a nooner with Ambrose?" I tease her. She blushes and glares at me. Yeah, I think I just hit the nail on the head.

"Oh Rose." she says, but didn't deny it. I just chuckle at her embarrassment. She motions for me to sit at the table that is set up for lunch. As we sit, she starts the conversation. "So how did Adrian's date go last Saturday?" She's the one that set it up, so she naturally curious as to how it went. I just shrug my shoulders.

"The date was fine, but he's not interested. Who's next on your list?" I ask. She sighs heavily, dissappointed that her fix up didn't work.

"Well, there is someone I would like him to meet, but I'm beginning to loose hope he'll ever get married. At least he has you taking care of him."

"Yep. I'll always be there for him, whether he likes it or not." I tell her bitterly, thinking about our latest blow up. She looks at me curious at to what happened now.

"What did he do now?" she asks.

"He got mad at me and decided to go binging again. You know Dimitri came here with Tasha?" I ask her knowing that she knew. She is the queen after all. She nods for me to continue. "Well, I told Adrian that I'm not in love with Dimitri anymore, which is true, but he saw Dimitri kiss me in the gym yesterday and now he's pissed at me." She looks a little shocked.

"Did you tell Dimtri how you feel? Maybe he thought he still has a chance with you." I"ve already told her all about me and Dimitri and how he left me to be with Tasha. She also knows that it was Adrian who stood by me and helped me pick up the pieces of my broken heart. When she saw us together, right before graduation, she knew how I felt about Adrian, before I even did, and made sure that I was assigned to be his guardian. No one else would be as dedicated to his safety than me.

"Yeah, after a few minutes, I was able to get my head cleared and pushed him away. I told him I was over him and he needs to do the same. Tasha's pregnant, did you know?" Apparently she didn't know with the look of surprise on her face. She is so enjoying this. She's such a gossip whore.

"That must be hard to see them like that." She decides to change the subject. "So how is your training going? I heard this new guy is pretty tough." We talk for the next ten minutes about my trainings and such. Our lunch is brought to us and we start eating. Toward the end of lunch, I ask the same question I always ask.

"Have we been able to locate Stephan yet?" Stephan is a very old Strigoi that has been hunting the Ivashkov family for centuries. He is fixated on Adrian and wants to turn him. I think it's because he looks almost identical to Stephan's son that was accidently killed by Adrian's great great great grandfather. This is the reason Tatiana has me training so hard, so I can kill Stephan before he gets to Adrian. Adrian has no clue about this, and never will. This is the main reason I can never be romantically involved with him. I can't let myself get distracted when his enemies are waiting in the wings for me to let my guard down just once. Not gonna happen.

"All we know is that he is somewhere in the US, at least as of last week. He's pretty good at keeping himself hidden." I nod at that. It seems like we've found him a dozen times, only to be one step behind. She has a worried look on her face thinking about Stephan actually harming her favorite nephew.

"You know I will never let anything happen to Adrian." I reassure her. She smiles weakly and nods.

"Considering he could be waiting just outside these walls, I would like you to step up your training. I'll have your guardian shifts cut in half so you can spend more time in the gym learning this new technique." I nod at her and she takes a deep breath and changes the subject again.

"As I said earlier, there is a young woman I would like Adrian to meet, Emily Conta. Actually, she is going to be on the same committee as Adrian. She couldn't make it until next week. She will arrive Friday and I would like Adrian to show her around the Court. This is her first visit. I would prefer if he didn't leave the safety of the wards so I thought that showing her around would be best." I hate the idea of Adrian dating other women. Tatiana sees the frown on my face. "You know, all I want is for Adrian to be happy. That's why I push him to find someone nice he can marry." What about me? Aren't I nice? Well, in general? I don't know why, but something inside me snapped.

"Cut the bull shit, T" I yell at her. A couple of the guardians tense up, but don't move from their post. She looks at me confused. "That isn't the whole reason you push these women on him and you know it." She looks at me shocked.

"You doubt my sincerety that I want Adrian to be happy?" she asks incredulously.

"No, you want him to be happy in a way that doesn't reflect badly on the family name, or you. You know I could make him happier than anyone else, but you don't want the scandal." She narrows her eyes at me, pissed off at my outburst. I don't really know where all this is coming from. I know we can't be together, but I don't appreciate the way she rubs it in my face.

"You need to concentrate on keeping him alive, not happy." she snaps. She reaches over and takes my hand in hers, her face softening. "Rose, I like you, and I think you're good for Adrian. He's matured and straightened up so much since you entered his life. But you can't do both. You can't keep him safe from Stephan and be his wife at the same time. One duty will suffer and he could pay the price with his life. Neither of us wants that." she tells me. I know she's right, no matter how much I hate it. Then an idea pops into my head.

"You're right about that. So, I'll tell you what. After I kill Stephan, his greatest threat, I'm going to tell Adrian exactly how I feel about him. I'll let him decide if he wants me to be his guardian or his wife. I won't have to do both." She thinks it over and smiles.

"If you kill Stephan and any other followers of his who might want Adrian dead, then I won't play match maker anymore and I won't stand in your way if you both want to pursue a relationship. It won't be easy, though. There are still many people in our community who will condem you both for your choice, but I won't be one of them." she promises. The fact that there is now a way that we could possibly be together has given me new hope. I still can't let Adrian know about the danger that is waiting for him out there, but I will do what I can to eliminate that threat. I give Tatiana a big hug before I leave, with the biggest smile on my face.

About an hour later, I walk into the gym, feeling lighter than air. Just knowing that there might be a way to be with Adrian makes me feel invincible. I see Guardian Conner working on the practice dummies with a stake. He's really good. His form reminds me a lot of Dimitri. Speaking of Dimitri, I see him on the other side, covered in sweat as he is walking away from the weight room. He hasn't noticed me enter and I don't have any intention of letting him know I'm here. I'm still pissed at the trouble he caused me with Adrian. I walk over to Conner and put my bag down with a thud. He spins around and sees me standing with my hands on my hips and smile on my face.

"Hey Conner, you ready for me?" I ask seductively just to rile him up. He smiles back at me and walks right up to me, leaving only inches between us. I don't back away, but stand my ground.

"The real question is, are you ready for me, Hathaway?" he asks in the same tone I used. My heart rate picks up a bit at this new level of flirting we seem to have going on. I raise myself up on my tippy toes and lean in close, putting my hands on his chest for balance as I whisper to him.

"Bring it on." I turn and walk away toward a matt, swaying my hips a little more than usual hoping to get him flustered. I look back over my shoulder and see him watching me walk away. It worked. I laugh at the look on his face when he sees that I caught him looking. This is going to be fun.

As we both get into our positions on the mat, I notice a crowd gathering around us. Two guardians sparing is not unusual, so I don't really understand why the sudden interest. Well, if they want a show, I'll do my best to satisfy. We begin to circle each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. I decide to go ahead and strike first and hit him hard to the chest. He looks a bit stunned at my speed, but he recovers quick with a punch of his own. I'm able to block it easily and counter with a kick to his gut. We continue going back and forth, me getting more landed punches than him. I glance over to the side and see Dimitri watching me intently. No matter what's happened between us, he was my mentor and taught me a lot. The feeling of wanting to make him proud of me overcame me. I decided to end the match and used one of my favorite moves he taught me and brought Conner down by kicking his legs out from under him. I pin him down and place my fist over his heart, like I would stake a Strigoi. "I win." I say, breathing heavy as I smile at Conner laying under me. "I guess this means we won't be living out one of your Rose fantasies." I say with false disappointment low enough only he can hear me.

"Don't worry, Hathaway. We are." he says as he bucks his hips up, causing me to fall forward to where our lips make contact. He begins to kiss me, but I pull away quickly. I'm not making that mistake again. I can't get mad at him though, since I have been flirting pretty furiously with him, so I play it off.

"That's cheating, Conner." I say as I get off him. I extend my hand to him to help him off the floor. He takes it and stands up in front of me. "If you want to kiss me again, you have to earn it." I walk over to the side of the mat to where I left my bag and grab a water bottle and start to drink it down. He walks over to his bag, which is right next to mine and does the same, all the while never taking his eyes off me.

"I look forward to the rematch then. I almost had you a couple times." he smiles. I don't have the heart to tell him I was letting him feel like he was winning. Men's egos are fragile things. I see Dimitri out of the corner of my eye, glaring at Conner. I thank him for the match and walk over to talk to Dimitri.

"What did you think comrade? Are you proud of your student?" I want to keep this as friendly as possible. He gives me a small smile as he answers.

"Yes Rose. Your technique has improved immensely since I last trained you. I liked that last move, very effective."

"Yeah, I thought you'd like that considering you used it on me enough to knock me on my ass when we sparred way back when." I like that I can now look back on my training days with Dimitri without feeling a pain in my heart.

"Yes, I remember." he laughs, probably thinking about me always ending up on my butt. I grab my bag and start to walk over to the weight room to continue my training. If I have any hope of killing Stephan, I need to get much stronger.

"I'll talk to you later, Dimitri. Tell Tasha I said hello." Just as I am walking by him, he grabs my wrist to stop me. I look over to him and raise my eyebrows, waiting for him to say something.

"Tasha is having a little dinner party at our place on Saturday. Lissa and Christian will be back and she would like you and Adrian to come too." Mentioning Adrian and I being in the same room together causes my heart to ache. I don't know if he's still mad at me and would put up with an evening with Dimitri. I don't want to tell Dimitri about our last fight, so I just nod.

"I'd love to come, but I don't know about Adrian. I'll ask him and get back to you." He nods in response and releases his hold on my arm.

"Have a good evening Roza." he says as he leaves. I can tell he's really trying to control himself around me and not get too personal, which I appreciate. The sooner we can get to that place where we are both happy just being friends, the better. Right now, I need to focus on Adrian and getting rid of the threat on his life. Stepping up my training like the Queen wants is going to be hell, but I'll do anything to keep Adrian safe.

**Since I received so many fabulous reviews for the last chapter, I decided to update sooner than planned. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review this chapter too.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. You all rock!**

**I don't own VP, OK?**

**Adrian POV**

It's been three days since I last saw Rose and I miss her. She hasn't come by to check on me or make sure I've eaten or got out of bed on time like she usually does. She's probably with her Russian boyfriend. He's just going to hurt her again. As soon as that baby is born, it's bye bye Rose, again. And who is she going to come running to? Me. At least I hope she does. I just wish she would realize this now and not get involved with him. Maybe I need to be the friend she needs right now and try to talk some sense into her. I hope she listens. I think I'll call her and see if she wants to meet for dinner. When I dial her number, I just get her voicemail. I'll go check and see what shift she has today. Just as I walk out my door, a guardian comes running up to me with an envelope in his hand. "Lord Ivashkov, the Queen asked me to deliver this to you." he says as he hands me the letter in his hand. I open it and read that she has a request that I show someone around the Court. Great, she trying to fix me up again. I seriously don't know what her problem is. My own mother isn't this interested in my love life. Well, Emily Conta, whoever you are, I'll give you the basic tour tomorrow. Right now, I need to find Rose.

As I walk into the guardian office, I see Dimitri punching in. He most likely knows where she is, so I swallow my hatred of him and go up to talk to him. "Guardian Belikov, do you know where I might find Rose?" He turns around and looks at me puzzled.

"I'm not sure. I haven't seen her since...it's been a few days." He looks at the days schedule, and back to me. "Today's Friday, so she worked a short shift this morning, and she's working another shift this evening for another guardian. I don't know where she is now." he says as he shrugs his shoulders. He bows his head to me and walks out the door. Dickhead.

Hmmm? He hasn't seen her in the past few days, either. Where would she be? Usually if she isn't with me, she's either in her room or the gym. I'll check her room first since it's closer. I knock. Once. Twice. No answer. I get my keys out and find the one that fits her lock and let myself in. Her room is so small, with very little personal effects. Her scent is all the place. I stand in the middle of the living area and inhale deeply. I miss the way she smells, like vanilla and lilacs. I open the bedroom door and see that it's empty, bed not made. I've only been in her place a couple of times, and her bedroom never. It's funny how she keeps my apartment so tidy while her own is a mess, clothes on the floor and wet towels hanging on the shower curtain rod, and all her girly things all over the bathroom vanity. Not that she needs any of it. She looks better without all the make up and done up hair. She's a natural beauty. Since she's obviously not here, I should probably let myself out and check elsewhere. As I'm leaving, a picture on her nightstand catches my attention. I don't remember when it was taken, but Rose and I are hugging each other and looking into the camera. I have my head resting on the top of hers, both with happy smiles upon our faces. Someone who didn't know us would see a happy couple, not 'just friends'. It makes me smile that she has this picture where it is the last thing she sees at night, and the first thing she sees in the morning.

Okay, I'm starting to feel like a stalker, so I better get out now before I end up going through all her stuff. I walk to the next logical place she could be, the gym. Sure enough, as I walk through the doors, I hear the familiar grunts and groans of Rose in combat. I go sit down in a chair by the wall and watch her across the room. She is soaking wet in sweat, and the hair that escaped her ponytail is sticking to her forehead and neck. Her face and body are red from exertion and she is breathing heavy. It's no wonder she's the best with the intensity at which she trains. I don't recognize the person she's training with. Must be the new instructor she mentioned getting last week. He does some weird move with his arms and knocks Rose right on her ass. She pounds the matt with her fists and gets up again, ready to fight. He does the same move, and again, Rose is sitting on her ass. She lets out a frustrating growl as she gets up to her feet.

"Rose, you've been at this for eight hours now. Let's call it a day and start again tomorrow." her new trainer advises. Eight hours? That's just crazy. No wonder I haven't seen her.

"No. I don't want to leave until I can block this move. I almost had it that last time." she tells him. He shakes his head but gives in. He looks just as tired as she does, but completes the same move he did prior. This time she didn't fall to the floor, but she does stumble. She immediately stables herself and gets ready for another attack. The two of them go at for another thirty minutes until Rose is able to not only block the move, but counter it with one of her own. I feel so proud of her for not giving up and continuing until she got it right.

She thanks her instructor and heads into the women's locker room to take a shower. I decide to wait by the door, hoping not to see a repeat of the last time I was here. About twenty minutes later, Rose emerges from locker room, hair still wet from her shower. She has her head down as she walks out and doesn't notice me standing there. I walk up beside her and match her stride. She sees my feet and then looks up to my face and quickly looks away, but not before I saw the black eye. I guess I didn't notice it before because it was on the other side of where I was. She starts walking faster, trying to get away from me but I'm not having any of that. I grab her arm to stop her and turn her around to look at me straight on. She's looking at the floor, wet hair in her face blocking the view of her shiner.

I put my finger to her chin and lift it up so she has to look me in the eye. It's a doozy, swollen and black and purple. "Does it hurt?" I ask her knowing she would deny it if it did.

"No. It's fine. What are you doing here?" she says as she pulls my hand away from her face. I want so badly to touch her face and heal her injury, but she'd most likely object.

"Looking for you. I haven't seen you in days and I wanted to make sure you're alright." I see the corner of her mouth turn up into a slight smile and she looks down again trying to hide it. Then I see her expression change when she frowns and shifts back and forth on her feet.

"Last time I saw you, we were both pretty pissed at each other, so I thought I'd give you some breathing room." she says. I sigh and run my hand through my hair in frustration.

"Rose, I'm not mad. I'm just concerned. Getting involved with Dimitri isn't going to end well, especially after the baby is born. I just don't want you to get hurt again." I tell her. She rolls her eyes and puts her hands on her hips.

"Adrian, how many times do I have to tell you, I'm not getting back together with Dimitri. I love him, yes, but I'm not _in_ love with him. Not anymore. I told him this and I'm telling you, _again_. Now will you finally believe me so we can go on with our lives?" she pleads with me. I look her right in the eyes as I think about what she just said. She's not in love with him anymore. I nod my head seeing only sincerety on her face as she looks at me. I pull her into a tight hug, but feel her wince when I touch her sides. She quickly pulls away, trying to hide something from me. I don't think so. I pull her back to me and try to lift up the side of her shirt. "Adrian, don't." she steps away and holds down her shirt.

"Rose, let me see." I say firmly. She lets out a big breath and glares at me as she reluctantly lifts up her shirt to reveal bruises all over her stomach and sides and taped up ribs. I gasp as I look at her battered body. "What the hell happened? Were you in an accident?" She looks like she's been used as a training dummy. She pulls her shirt back down and starts walking out the door. "Rose, talk to me." I plead as I catch up to her.

"It's nothing Adrian. I've been training in a new style of fighting and I have a lot to learn, that's all. Occupation hazard." she says and tries to give me a reassuring smile. Why does she do this to herself?

"Why didn't you come to me so I could heal you? You don't have to go around hurting like this." she shakes her head at me.

"I need to toughen up my body by getting used to fighting while injured. I can't exactly call a 'time out' when fighting Strigoi so you can heal me, now can I? If I get seriously hurt, I'll call you, I promise." she says as she stops in front of me and gives me those puppy dog eyes I can never resist. I give in like I always do.

"If you promise to call me right away next time. Are your ribs broken?" she looks away, but nods affirming my question. I hate seeing her hurt. Maybe I can guilt her into letting me heal her. "I'm assuming this happened yesterday or the day before?" she nods. "Well then since you practiced with the injuries today, can I heal you so you can start fresh tomorrow? Please?" I ask her, holding both her hands in mine. She stands there thinking about my offer.

"Fine Adrian. If it'll make you happy, heal away." she reluctantly gives in. I put a hand on her stomach and heal the bruises and ribs. Then I gently place my finger tips on her black eye, turning it back to it's original splendor. She smiles and thanks me with a hug. "Thanks for the healing, but I have another shift and I need to grab a bite to eat on the way." She pulls away and starts to leave, but suddenly turns back to me. "Oh, Dimitri mentioned a couple days ago that Tasha is having a dinner party with Lissa and Christian tomorrow night and wanted to know if we could come. I know you don't like Dimitri so I didn't obligate you to come, but I'm going and you're invited, so think about it." she says as she rushes out the door. I wonder if she's keeping herself so busy to avoid me. Was I that awful to her that she'd rather punish herself training like a maniac than spend time with me? I've got to make this up to her and the best way would be to go to this dinner with her tomorrow, but I need to talk to her first.

I know her shift ends at midnight, so I decide to wait for her outside her apartment so she can't avoid me. I sit down against the wall and wait for her to come home. I sit here and think about the last two years, me chasing her and she pushing me away even though I know she feels something for me. I can see it in her aura, but I don't quite understand why she keeps denying it. Our lives would be so much better if she'd just surrender to her feelings. I've got to make her see this. I'm just so tired of this stupid game she insists on playing. The sound of footsteps coming my way disrupts my thoughts as I look up to see a very tired Rose walking toward me. She's dragging her feet and with her head hanging down like she's too exhausted to hold it up. She doesn't even notice me by her door. I get to my feet and she finally looks up at me. "Adrian, what are you doing here?" she asks surprised to see me.

"I want to talk to you and it seems this is the only time you have available." I tell her. She sighs as she searches her pocket for her keys and unlocks the door. She opens the door and motions me in. I walk into the dark apartment and stand in the middle of the room, waiting for her. She shuts the door and turns on the lamp by her couch after throwing her keys in a bowl on the little table by the door. She kicks off her shoes, lets her hair out of its bun and pulls her tucked in shirt out of her pants before falling on the couch. She pats the cushion next to me and I sit down next to her. "Why are you doing this?" I ask her. She looks at me confused.

"Doing what? Working? That's my job. I'm a guardian, remember? Your guardian." she says like I'm an idiot. I roll my eyes at her tone and continue.

"Yes, I know that. But why are you working double shifts and training ridiculous hours of the day? Are you trying to avoid me?" She puts both palms of her hands over her eyes and rests her elbows on her knees.

"Another guardian had to leave for a few days for personal reasons so I am covering some of her shifts. The Queen has stepped up my training for whatever reason she feels like and no I'm not avoiding you, I've just been busy." she lifts up her head and looks at me. "It's not like I felt welcome around you anyway." she says. The guilt I'm feeling is weighing pretty heavy right now.

"I'm sorry for how I treated you the other day when you were just trying to help me. I was going to appologize after my shower but you were gone. I figured you were pissed at me so I thought you needed time to cool off, but I'm here now." She gives me a little smile and leans in and wraps her arms around me. I do the same and hold her tight. I find myself burrying my face into her hair and inhaling its sweet scent. I never want to let her go. She doesn't move away, so we stay in our embrace for a few wonderful minutes. Unfortunately, she pulls away and looks at me. I take a good look at her aura to see what I can find. The dominent feeling is that of exhaustion but I can certainly see red peeking out too. I need to confront her and now is the as good a time as any.

I put one hand on her cheek and I feel her lean into it, just slightly. "Rose, I know I've told you this a thousand times, but I love you and I know you love me too, and not just as a friend." she starts to say something but I'm not finished so I keep going. "You may not love me as much as I do you, but I know it's there, I can see it when your around me. Why do you keep denying it? Denying me? We could be so good together." I keep my gaze locked with her, trying to read mind, as if that were possible. She closes her eyes and lets out a big breath.

"Adrian, it doesn't matter what I feel, I'm your guardian. Having a romantic relationship will distract me from my duty and I won't put your life in danger like that." she says as she takes my hand off her face, but holds it between her hands on her lap. "I'm really tired right now and my next shift starts in six hours and then I have another day of training to get through before the party tomorrow night. So if we're done here..." she trails off. No, I'm far from done.

"Then I'll get another guardian. Problem solved." I tell her but that seems to have only angered her.

"The hell you will! I am your guardian, appointed by the Queen herself. No one else will protect you like I will, so forget about trying to replace me." she practically yells.

"I don't want to replace you, Rose. I want to be with you. I want to love you and make love to you and marry you and have babies with you. Is that so terrible? And don't tell me you don't want that either. Your aura just burst into red when I just confessed my love for you. You love me to, just admit it." I yell back at her. She stands up, looking like she wants to punch me.

"Stop looking at my aura! That's cheating." she says through gritted teeth. She walks away toward her bedroom, but stops and turns back to me. "I can't do this right now, Adrian. Maybe you should go." I get off the couch and walk right up to her leaving only inches between us. I'm going to push her until she finally admits her feelings.

"I'm not leaving until you tell me the truth. Admit that you love me." I say as I take a step closer only to have her take a step back. I keep moving until she backs into the wall. I've got her just where I want her. "Admit it Rose. You love me and want me just as much as I do for you." I whisper as my lips are almost touching hers. I can feel her breath increasing against my face and her heartrate is picking up.

"Adrian..." she starts to say but I can't hold back any more. I close the distance between us and press my lips against hers. I begin to slowly kiss her warm mouth and I feel her kissing me back. I don't want to scare her away, so I keep it nice and gentle as I relish the taste of her and the feel of her silky lips on mine. It's even better than I imagined. I move my hands up along her sides to her back and finally run my fingers in her gorgeous hair. I push my body harder against hers, pinning her against the wall. I can feel her still trying to hold on tight to her control as she's kissing me, but as soon as I move my hands down her body and under her shirt to run them along the soft skin of her stomach, her walls come crashing down. Her hands go behind my neck as she pulls my down and deepens the kiss with so much hunger and passion, I think I'm going to burst into flames. She slips her tongue past my lips and when it meets mine, electricity ignites through every nerve in my body. I slide one hand down the side of her leg and lift it up to wrap around my waist. I move my mouth from hers and trail kisses along her jaw to her neck. I hear her moan lightly as I kiss her below her ear. She tilts her head to the side to give me better access to that region she seems to love. I feel my heart about to beat out of my chest as her hands go under my shrit and travel up my abs and settle on my chest. She feels so good. I don't think I can last much longer without having her completely.

"I love you Rose. I need you, right now." I whisper in her ear. I find her mouth once more and mold my lips to hers. After a few more minutes, I pull away to catch my breath and lean my forehead against hers. "You're amazing Rose. I'm so happy you finally let your walls down and let me in." I say between breaths. She suddenly drops her leg that was at my waist and pushes me away with a look of horror on her face.

"We shouldn't have done that. That can never happen again. You need to go now." she tells me as she opens the door for me. What the hell just happened? One minute we are sharing a wonderful kiss and the next she's shoving me out the door.

"Rose, what are you doing? You know this is right. _We_ are right. Will you stop pushing me away and just let your heart be happy?" I plead with her.

"I can't do this right now." she says shaking her head. "Not now."

"Why not? What's wrong with now? Rose, you're not making any sense." I try to reason with her, but she keeps shaking her head no.

"We can't be together. I'm your guardian. Please, don't do that again." Not this again. She sounds like a broken record. I don't know how much longer I can take her rejection.

"Don't do this Rose. Stop pushing me away, because one day I'll stay away." I warn her. Nothing else has worked, so maybe and ultimatum will.

"You do what you need to do Adrian. I can't be with you the way you want me to right now. Please leave. I need to get some rest." she says on the verge of tears. I don't want to see her cry, so I decide to back off. I run my hand through my hair in frustration.

"Fine Rose, if this is what you really want, I'll leave you alone. Just friends. That's what you want, right?" I've done everything I can think of to get her to be with me, but she's so damn stubborn, I don't know what else to do. Maybe this isn't meant to be after all.

"Yes. I'm sorry Adrian." she says just barely above a whisper.

"I'm sorry too. We could've been great together, but..." I don't finish my thought since it won't make any difference anyhow. I take one last look at her before I walk out her door. Ever since I met her, there has never been another woman in my life, aside from all those horrid dates my aunt forced on me. Maybe I need to stop waiting for something that obviously isn't going to happen and give the next woman I meet a chance. I just need to move on and find some other way to be happy.

**I know it seems like I keep dragging Rose and Adrian through hell, but just remember, the more obstacles they have to overcome, the happier they will be at the end. So enjoy the ride and review.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A big shout out to MaxieMoose for helping me with come up with the Emily Conta character. Help me show her some love by reading and reviewing her story Kismet. It's really good.**

**I don't own Vampire Academy, obviously.**

**Rose POV**

"I'm sorry too. We could've been great together, but..." he doesn't finish but just looks at me for another moment before walking out the door. I shut the door behind him and immediately fall to my knees, crying. Why does love have to be so hard? I just hope that I can find Stephan and kill him soon so I can finally admit to Adrian what he apparently already knows. I just hope he can forgive me for pushing him away all this time. I hate hurting him like this, especiallly after that kiss. That kiss was better than I ever dreamed. The way his lips fit perfectly with mine and how he was so gently and loving, I can still feel the burn of his touch linger on my skin. I know I shouldn't have kissed him back, but how could I not. I'm just glad I was able to regain my control and stop it before it got too far out of hand. I pull myself up off the ground and drag myself to my bedroom. I'm so exhausted and I only have a few hours to sleep before starting another hard day. All this training and extra shifts is killing me. At least Adrian healed my ribs so it's better than it would have been. I better take my shower now while I'm still awake because I know I won't be able to get myself out of bed early enough in the morning. I crank the water up nice and hot and feel the tension melt away, until I think about Adrian and how he looked at me right before he walked away. Again, I fall to my knees and let all the emotions come rushing out as I sob to myself in the shower. When all the tears are done flowing and the hot water has run cold, I get myself out and dry off. I plop into my bed and go right to sleep.

The next morning I drag myself out of bed and get dressed into my uniform. I'm covering the front gate today with Guardian Conner. At least I'll have good company. I walk over to my post, soaking in the last of the sun's rays as it sets low in the sky. God, I miss the sun. I need to do more grave shifts. I get to the little guard shack by the front gates and walk in, noticing that Guardian Conner isn't here yet. I relieve the guardians that are getting off their shift and go straight to the coffee maker to pour a cup of wake up juice. I normally don't drink the stuff, but I definitely need a pick me up this morning. As I take my first sip, Conner comes strolling in with a platefull of donuts. My eyes widen and I think I actually start drooling looking at that wonderful sight. He starts laughing when he sees my face staring at the sugary bounty he's holding. "I noticed how hard you're working the last few days, so I thought I'd bring you a little treat." He puts the plate down by the coffee maker and takes his jacket off, getting comfortable. I grab a big chocolate one and take a big bite and let the ooey goodness just melt in my mouth. I so deserve this.

"How did you know donuts are my favorite?" I ask as I take another huge bite. He chuckles and shakes his head.

"Are you kidding? Back at St Vlads, the kitchen staff knew to hide a tray in case you were late and didn't get your fix. This was at the request of all your teachers." I didn't realize how addicted I was to sugar in the morning. Oh well, everyone's gotta have some vice.

"Well, thanks. That was very thoughtful of you." I give him a smile. I finish my last bite and look to see who is planned to come in today. I notice on the list of arrivals is Emily Conta, the lady Tatianna wants Adrian to show around. I hope she's an ugly cow that Adrian wants nothing to do with. Hey, just because I can't be with him, doesn't mean I want anyone else to. Especially not now that there's a slim chance that we can be together. I figure that if I have any chance of taking Stephan down, I'm going to need help. I need to talk to Tatianna about getting some more guardians trained like me.

The morning goes by pretty slowly. Conner and I play dirty twenty questions to pass the time. It didn't start out being dirty, it just turned out that way. How immature are we? We stop our little game when a care pulls up to our gate, waiting to be checked in. I walk over to the driver to see who wants admittance.

"Lord Conta and his daughter Emily Conta along with their guardians are here for business." the driver tells me. I look over my list and don't see Lord Conta's name on the list for living quarters.

"There seems to be some sort of mix up. I have Emily down to recieve an apartment, but not her father. Is he just visiting?" I ask. Just as the driver was about to answer, the back door opens up and a tall, middle aged Moroi steps out and walks over to me. He is dressed in a way that screams 'look at me, I've got lots of money and I like to flaunt it'. I can see him looking me over which makes my skin crawl.

"I'm only here to get my daughter settled in, Guardian..." he says waiting for me to introduce myself.

"Hathaway. Guardian Hathaway." I tell him straightfaced. I know his type and I don't want to do or say anything he might misconstrue for flirting. Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to think he needs an invitation to get handsy, as he palces his hand on the small of my back, right above my ass.

"Guardian Hathaway, I hope there isn't a problem. I'm sure you can find some place for me to _sleep_ tonight." he says as his hand slides down and he grabs my ass. I quickly move out of his reach and excuse myself back to the shack before he ends up a bloody heap on the ground. I shove the clipboard with the room assignments at Conner and start pacing the floor, practicing my deep breathing to calm myself down.

"Can you find Lord 'Conta Keep My Hands To Myself' a room please. If I have to face him again, I won't be able to keep my fists to myself." I fume. I so hate these royal assholes who think every pretty Dhampir is a bloodwhore. I just hope his daughter isn't a reflection of her father, or she's going to be all over my Adrian. Conner walks out and handles the arrangements for Lord Conta, returning a little while later handing me a piece of paper. I look at it and it's a business card with a handwritten messagge on the back. 'Guardian Hathaway, looking for sexy guardian, call if interested. great benefits.' followed be his cell number. Does he seriously think that's an attractive offer? What a sleaze ball.

Finally, my shift is over. I don't have another until Monday morning, but I still have to train. Normally I love to train, and I still do but right now, sleep is what I crave most. After I change, I head to the gym to start abusing my body all over again. At least I'm seeing some improvement in my form and strength. About halfway through, Roger, my Krav Maga trainer, has something new he wants to try. Five guardians, including Dimitri and Conner, come over to the mat and get in attack mode. I look over to Roger and give him my 'are you kidding me?' look. "You need to practice fighting multiple assailants at the same time." he tells me. Is he trying to kill me? Well, anything that gets me ready to face Stephan is worth the pain and suffering I know I'm about to receive.

I walk to the middle of the mat and get ready to be attacked. They all come at me at once instead of one at a time. I guess that's logical since Strigoi won't be so accommadating as to wait their turn. It doesn't take long before I'm pinned to the floor by Dimitri. He seems to be enjoying this a little too much. As I look at the guardians surrounding me now, I notice that they each have an evil grin on their faces, waiting to take revenge on me for kicking their asses in previous matches. Paybacks a bitch. By the end of the day, I was able to 'kill' three of the five attackers before I was taken down. Not bad if I say so myself. I'm also pleased that I'm not the only one walking away badly bruised and sore. "You did very well Rose. I'm proud of you." Dimitri tells me as we are walking toward the locker rooms to clean up. I still can't help getting a thrill out of making him happy with my performance.

"Thanks comrade. You did pretty well yourself, getting me good with that last kick you gave me. I'm gonna have a huge bruise on my hip in the morning." I say rubbing the sore spot.

"Are you and Adrian coming over tonight? Tasha is very excited. She loves to entertain." he says. I cringe at the thought of seeing Adrian after what happened last night.

"I'll be there and I told Adrian about it, but I don't think he'll show." I tell him, getting a confused look from him in return. "It's a long, complicated story I don't want to go into right now." I tell him and he just nods in understanding. I wave to him as I walk into the ladies locker room to clean up. As I walk back to my room to get ready for Tasha's dinner, I can already feel my muscles starting to hurt. When I get to my bathroom, I look in the mirror and I gasp at the sight. It looks like I've been in a rumble with a pack of Strigoi, which is what kinda happened. My bottom lip is cut and I have a huge bruise on my right cheek, which might be fractured by the pain I feel when I touch it. I wonder if Adrian would take pity on me and heal me so I don't scare everybody. But I doubt he wants to see me right now. I do what I can to cover it up with make up, but it doesn't really help. I bandage up my knuckles, again and put on some nice blue slacks and ivory long sleeved blouse to cover up my many cuts and bruises. Oh well, no one ever said being a guardian was glamorous work.

I walk over to Tasha and Dimitri's apartment and take a deep breath before knocking on the door. Tasha opens the door and smothers me in a huge embrace. I pat her on the back and pull away and give her a smile. "I'm glad you could make it Rose. Where's Adrian?" she asks puzzled as she looks behind me thinking he's with me.

"I don't know. We had a bit of a disagreement last night so I don't know if he's coming or not." I tell her honestly without getting too personal. She pulls me in and leads me to the living room where Lissa, Christian and Eddie are sitting. Lissa jumps up and practically knocks me down when she tackles me with a hug.

"Oh Rose, I missed you so much. I have so much to tell you. You're never gonna believe who we met." she rambles on, not letting me get a word in edgewise. She pulls away and looks at my face and frowns. "Oh my god Rose, you look horrible." The smile that was on my face fell at her bluntness.

"Gee thanks Liss. We can't all look like super models." I say dryly. She looks embarrassed by what she said and tries to correct it.

"I'm sorry Rose, I didn't mean it like that. Did you run into Strigoi again guarding Adrian?" It's a well known fact that everytime Adrian has left the wards, we've been attacked.

"No, just training. If you want to know who gave me the split lip, go see Dimitri." I say with a little smile. She suddenly looks concerned and leans in close so no one can hear.

"Are you okay? I know how it was when he left you. Seeing him again with her, especially pregnant, must be hard."

"I'm okay. We're actually getting along just fine. Don't worry about it." I pat her on the back and she walks back over to sit next to Christian. He just waves at me from his seat so I walk over and smack him on the back of the head. "Nice to see you too, Pyro." I greet him. He glares at me but goes back to watching tv. Eddie gets up and gives me a hug. "Hey Eddie. I missed sparring with you. I had to settle with Dimitri and Guardian Conner. It'll be nice to have some proper competition again." I joke knowing Dimitri was listening. Eddie and I laugh as we see Dimitri shaking his head and rolling his eyes at us. It's good having my friends around again. Having Adrian here would make it complete.

Someone knocks on the door and my heart races, hoping Adrian decided to come after all. I can't see who it is, but Tasha gives them a hug and moves aside so they can enter. It's Adrian. I smile thinking that maybe he isn't as mad at me as I thought and we can definitely work through this. That is until I see him holding hands walking in with her. Emily Conta.

She has the typical Moroi build, tall and slim, with red wavy hair and green eyes. She's dressed in expensive clothes and has a very large purse on her arm that seems to be moving. They walk in and Adrian greets everyone but only nods to me. He drops her hand and introduces her to everyone. She smiles at everyone, but you can tell it's totally fake, like she would rather be anywhere than here. I have no idea why he brought her here anyway. He brings her over to me and introduces me.

"Emily, this is my guardian, Rose Hathaway." Oh, I'm just his guardian now? I feel like I just got punched in the stomach. She smiles bightly at that, maybe she's not so bad. Nope. I spoke to soon. She shoves her very large purse in my face.

"Spartacus needs to tinkle." She tells me. I give her my 'are you crazy?' look and look from her to the bag wondering what the hell she's talking about. Then, a head pops out of the top of the bag and scares the hell out of me. I think it's supposed to be a dog, but that's pushing it. It has white hair only on its tail and the top of its head and has a diamond dog collar on its scrawny neck. As soon as it sees me, it starts growling and barking. It's not my fault, animals just don't like Dhampirs. I point to the creature and address her.

"Is this Spartacus?" She rolls her eyes at me and pushes the bag closer to me. I push it back to her. "I don't so tinkle detail. It's your dog, you walk it." I tell her. Who the hell does she think she is?

"Rose, Emily is new here. Could you do us this favor and walk the dog please?" Adrian asks me. I glare at him and glares right back. I suddenly need to get out of their before I punch someone, and that someone might be Adrian. I snatch the leash out of Emily's hand and drag the dog to the door.

"Come on pooch. Let's see if we can find a whole in the fence with your name on it." I say as I leave. I am so going to make Adrian pay for this. I walk to the park not too far from the apartment and tie the leash to a bench. I go lay down on the grass, far away from the mangy mut and stare up at the stars. I'm out here for another five minutes when I hear footsteps coming my way. I look up and see Eddie running toward me.

"Tasha said dinner's ready. You ready to go back in there?" he asks while laying down next to me. It seems he's not too eager to go back in either.

"Something happen while I was gone?" I ask.

"Yeah, she laughed. It's the most annoying sound I ever heard in my life. Think Janice from Friends and you'll have an idea of what I'm talking about." he winces at the memory. I laugh at his reaction. He looks over to me with concern on his face. He takes my hand in his and gives it a squeeze. "Are you alright? I saw your face when Adrian walked in with her." God, can everyone read me so easily?

"I don't know. Just last night he's telling me how I'm the only woman for him and he loves me and today he's holding hands with a woman he just met. I know I'm the one that won't let us be together, it just hurts to see him move on so quickly." I confess. Eddie has always been like a big brother to me and unloading to him just feels so natural. He doesn't say anything after that, but just lays there with me. Finally, he sits up and pulls me up with him.

"We better get back before Lissa gets worried. You know how she gets." I nod and we go to get the dog and head back. We walk back in, dragging the dog behind us, to see everyone seated at the dining table. The only two places left to sit are by Christian and Adrian. Eddie takes the seat by

Christian, leaving me to sit by _him_. Emily decides to make conversation and addresses Tasha.

"So do you normally eat with your guardians? Wouldn't they be more comfortable eating with their own kind?" she asks like we're not even there. Everyone looks shocked at her question.

"Rose, Eddie and Dimitri aren't just our guardians, they're are family." Lissa tells her with an edge to her voice. Emily just gives her a fake smile in response to Lissa, but the girls doesn't know when to shut up.

"Well I can see why Guardian Hathaway is your guardian Adrian, and by the looks of her face, it isn't for her fighting skills." she chuckles as if she just made a joke. Oh no she didn't! Everyone went silent and looked over in my direction to see my reaction, which was to beat the crap out of her and show her my fighting skills. Unfortunately, Dimitri, who is sitting at the end of the table next to me, grabs my arm and holds me down and whispers in my ear.

"She's not worth it Roza. Calm down." I glare at her and when Adrian turns his head to look at me, I turn to give him the same look. After all, he brought her here. Apparently this woman doesn't like silence because she opens her mouth again.

"So Tasha, when do I get to meet your husband?" I almost want to laugh at her question. She just keeps saying the wrong thing. Tasha looks a little flustered, bordering on pissed.

"Well, Dimitri and I aren't married yet, but we are expecting the baby around Christmas time." she says with a nervous smile, waiting for Emily's reaction. Emily looks over to Dimitri and then back to Tasha with a confused look on her face.

"You mean you got pregnant by you guardian?" she asks shocked and disgusted by the very idea. I can see Dimitri's hands clench into fists. I put my hand on his trying to calm him down. I look over to Tasha and see her getting angrier by the second. But Emily, bless her heart, doesn't stop there. "Well, I guess with the reputation of your family and the scar on your face, you had to lower your standards if you wanted a family. Too bad the baby will only be a Dhampir." She says sympathetically as if she's trying to make Tasha feel better about her choice. I swear I think I see sparks flickering from Tasha's and Christians hands. This girl is unreal. I can't help but start laughing hysterically. Everyone looks at me puzzled like I just lost my mind, which I probably have. Adrian, finally sensing the tension in the room, gets up and takes Emily with him to the living room.

"Why are you laughing Rose?" Lissa asks me. I finally calm down enough to answer her. I take a deep breath and wipe the tears from my eyes.

"That girl has raw talent. You can't teach that." I say pointing in the direction they left in. "She insulted every single person here, except Adrian in one breath. You don't see that everyday." I start laughing again. Maybe the fact that I haven't slept much in the last few days is making me a little loopy. I just chuckle to myself while I finish eating the chicken parmesen in front of me. Now that she's gone, everyone relaxes a little and starts eating again.

A few minutes later, Adrian comes back in, alone. "I appologize for Emily. I'm going to escort her to her apartment now." he tells Tasha. Then he looks over to me. "Rose I know tomorrow is your day off, but Emily needs to get something at the mall so I told her I would take her. Would you like to come or should I get Guardian Taylor to come in your place?" I don't know why he's asking because he knows I will always go whenever he leaves the wards.

"You know I'll go. What time?" I ask with a sigh knowing I won't get much sleep again tonight since she'll probably want to leave early.

"Meet us at the car by six." he tells me. He gives Tasha and Lissa kisses on the cheek and just waves to the rest of us. The remaining of us don't say anything but eat our dinner until Christian breaks the silence.

"Well, Rose, what do you think of Emily?" he asks knowing I won't have anything nice to say. He's right.

"Oh, I hate her, and her little dog too." I say with a smile. Everyone laughs and raise their glass of wine in the air in agreement. I sure hope Adrian isn't seriously thinking about becoming friends with Emily, because I don't think I'll be able to control my temper much longer.

**So, what do you think of Emily? Review and let me know what you think.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. You definitely had some strong feelings toward Emily. I don't blame you. I hope this chapter is equally entertaining.**

**Last time I checked, I'm not Richelle Mead and I don't own Vampire Academy.**

**Adrian POV**

Yesterday was both absolutely wonderful and utterly miserable all in one. I kissed Rose. Finally, after over two years of flirting and professing my love, I kissed her, and she kissed me back. Just thinking about the way her lips felt against mine sends my heart racing. But then she had to go and do what she always does, and push me away again. One sentence that she said keeps repeating over and over in my mind. 'I can't be with you the way you want me to, right now.' It's the 'right now' part that is sticking in my mind. I have a feeling she's hiding something from me. Something important enough that she has to keep denying her love for me and keep me away. I have a feeling my aunt has something to do with this. I think it's time Aunt Tatianna and I had a little chat. But that will have to wait until tomorrow. Right now I see that Emily chick I'm supposed to show around. I can already tell by observing her just getting out of the car, this is going to be a miserable day.

She climbs out of the car and immediately hands her oversized bag over to one of the four guardians hovering around. They are all pulling out what look to be very heavy suitcases. One of the guardians is a petite woman who looks to be struggling trying to carry as much as the males. I rush over and take on of the bags from her. "Here, let me help you." I tell the guardian. "I can show you to your apartment." I say as I put the bag down next to me and extend my hand to Emily. "I'm Adrian Ivashkov. The Queen asked me to show you around today." I smile and turn to shake the man's hand that is with her. Emily smiles brightly when I mention my name, as did the man's.

"Lord Ivashkov, it's a pleasure to meet you. This is my father Lord Conta. He's just came to see that I arrived alright." she says. I pick up her bag and start to lead the way when she puts her hand on my arm to stop me. "You don't have to do that." motioning to the suitcase. "That's what the guardians are for." she says like it's so obvious. Oh god, don't tell me she's one of those royals. Ones that think guardians are their personal servants.

"Actually, their job is to protect you from danger, mainly from Strigoi." I try to say as politely as I can, but she still frowns at me. Oh, Rose is _so _going to hate her. We get to the apartment and I unlock the door and hand her the keys. She walks in and looks around, not looking too pleased. It's a standard apartment, just like mine, but apparently not good enough for her.

"I guess the good apartments were already taken. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to rough it for a while." she says, disappointment in her tone. The big guardian she handed her purse to comes in and she runs over, taking the bag from him and setting it down on the table. What she then pulls out surprises me. It's either a little ugly dog or a very big rat. You never know with wealthy people what they'll do to keep up with the latest trends. I should know, I used to be like that, a very long time ago. Of course if Rose ever found out, she'd give me hell and never let hear the end of it. She picks up the dog, I guess that's what it is, and starts kissing it and speaking baby talk to it. "Is my wittle Spartacus otay? Did he go tinkle like a good boy?" I roll my eyes wondering why a grown woman would act like this. She better not bring that mut with us today or it might not make it back. I have to get away from the baby talk, so I'll go socialize with her dad.

"So Lord Conta, how long do you plan on staying here at Court?" I don't really care but I don't have anything else to ask.

"Well, I was only planning on staying until tomorrow, but then I saw a pretty little Dhampir that caught my eye. So I figure I'll stay for a few days to get to know her better." he says with a wink. I have a bad feeling about this. I know Rose had a shift this morning, and it would just be my luck that it would be at the front gate. I better put a stop to this before Rose gets in trouble for beating this guy to a pulp when he hits on her.

"I don't suppose the Dhampir you're talking about is Guardian Hathaway?" He gets a big smile on his face when I mention her name.

"You know her? Maybe you can properly introduce us then?" he asks hopefully. Over my dead body will you ever get near her.

"Actually, she's _my_ guardian, so I don't think that will be such a good idea." I say possesively. I don't care if he thinks she's my bloodwhore, as long as he stays away from her. It seems that that's exactly what he thinks from the look on his face.

"I see. My appologies for overstepping my bounds. I didn't realize she was already spoken for. You're a very lucky man." he looks at me for a moment as if thinking something over. A grin then spreads across his face as he looks over to Emily and then back to me. "I have a proposition for you. I will give you my support as well as the support of a few other royal families in your Offensive Magic program, if you date my daughter. Take her to all the social functions and public displays. Having an Ivashkov on her arm will do well to improve her status in our society." Well of course it will. "But it has to be believable to work." I'm about to tell him I'm not interested when he interupts me. "As a little added incentive, I'll keep your dirty little secret about your guardian. Scandals like this can ruin reputations and end careers. I'm sure you don't want that." The nerve of this guy. Does he really think he can threaten me? Considering that Rose and I have never had sex, he won't be able to prove anything.

"I don't take kindly to threats. I never said there was anything other than a professional relationship between Guardian Hathaway and myself. You can't prove something happened when nothing has." Hopefully he'll drop this whole thing and back off. Not the case. His face just lit up.

"So, she is available then. Wonderful."

"Rose is nothing if not professional. She'll never let you touch her. In fact, I can almost guarantee a couple broken bones if you try." I say with a smirk knowing Rose's temper.

"Assaulting a Royal Moroi is an offense worthy of jail time. That's an awful bad mark to have on her record. I don't think you want that do you? It's either she spends some quality time with me, or she goes to jail. Of course, this can all be avoided if you just help my daughter out." What. An. Asshole. I either date his daughter so she can climb the social ladder or Rose is assulted or lands in jail for beating the crap out of him. Well, I guess taking Emily on a few dates isn't going to hurt anyone and it sure beats hurting Rose in any way.

"Fine. Emily and I are now dating. But you need to hold up your end of the bargain and stay far away from Rose." I say as I glare at him. God, I hate this guy.

"Agreed. It better be believable for it to work or Rose will be mine. Even Emily can't know what we discussed." he threatens. He puts a smile on his face and walks over to his daughter and gives her a hug before he leaves, two of the four guardians following behind him. This is going to be a nightmare. Might as well get it over with. I walk over to Emily and smile.

"So, should we start the tour?" I ask as I present my arm for her to take. I lead her out the door, but not before she grabs her dog and put him in the bag and carries him with us. I first take her to the little shopping area we have here at Court. We have quite a bit, actually so we don't have to leave the safety of the wards too often. The restaurants are pretty dececnt as well as the clothing boutiques. This seems to really catch her interest like I thought it would.

"Hey, Adrian, I need to go to the mall to pick something up. I don't suppose you could take me, maybe tomorrow?" she asks. Rose's day off is tomorrow, but I'm busy all during the week. Maybe I can get another guardian to go in Rose's place.

"Sure, no problem. I'll make the arrangements." I tell her. Ugh, more shopping.

We spend a couple hours looking around and I have to practically drag her out to continue the tour. All she talks about is gossip and fashion. I'm not really listening though, I keep thinking about Rose and that kiss.

I decide that I need to see her so I take Emily on the next stop of the tour, the gym. We walk in and Emily scrunches up her nose as she looks around. She doesn't seem the type to get sweaty. I look around the room hoping to see Rose, and I do. She's fighting five big guardians at the same time. This is insane. I don't understand why all of a sudden she's training so much. There is definitely something going on. I can tell Emily is pretty uncomfortable among all the fighting guardians, so I lead her out and take her to the main building where the Queen's parlor is. I figured she'll get a big kick out of that. I was right. It's empty right now, but still impressive as she walks around awestruck. After going from room to room for the next hour, I look at my watch and realize that Tasha's dinner is starting soon. I want to talk to Rose, so I'm planning on making an appearance.

"Well, Emily, I hoped you enjoyed the afternoon. I have dinner plans with some friends, so I'll walk you back to your room." I tell her as I lead us back toward the living quarters.

"Oh, which friends are you meeting for dinner?" she asks making conversation, or so I think.

"Well, Tasha Ozera is hosting with Guardian Belikov and her nephew Christian and his girlfriend Vasilissa Dragomire will be there with one of their guardians Eddie Castile and my guardian will be there too." That's all I know to be there, but who knows. She seems very excited about something, and I'm afraid to ask what.

"Princess Dragomire is a friend of yours? I would love to meet her. I hear she could become the next Queen. Do you think they'd mind an extra for dinner?" Man, I never should've said anything. Me and my big mouth. I don't really want to spend any more time with her, but I don't need her dad finding an excuse to harass Rose, and I'm sure Tasha won't mind. She's nice to a fault.

"I'm sure Tasha would be delighted to meet you. She's head of the committee you're on." I tell her. She gets very excited and squeels. Can she be anymore annoying?

We walk up to Tasha's door and knock. Tasha opens the door and gives me a hug. She looks over to Emily with a confused look on her face. "Tasha, this is Emily Conta. She'll be on the committee with us starting on Monday. Is it alright if she joins us for dinner? She doesn't know anyone here yet." I ask. Of course Tasha welcomes her. As we're walking in, Emily grabs my hand and holds on tight. I say hello to everyone, but when I see Rose, I can't speak. She looks like she's in pain, and not just from the injuries on her beautiful face. I quickly drop Emily's hand and introduce her to everyone, leaving Rose for last. I don't want Emily to see how I feel about Rose the way everyone else seems to see it, so I decide to go the formal route introducing her. "Emily, this is my guardian, Rose Hathaway." I see hurt flash in Rose's eyes when I introduce her, but she puts her guardian mask on and looks at Emily. Then Emily has to do the dumbest thing ever. She shoves her stupid dog at Rose. I can see the storm a'coming.

"Spartacus needs to tinkle." she tells Rose, again treating guardians like personal servants. Rose looks at her like she has three heads when that sorry excuse for a dog pops out of the bag and starts growling and barking at Rose.

"Is this Spartacus?" Rose asks pointing to the dog. Emily rolls her eyes and pushes the bag at her again, only to have Rose push back. "I don't so tinkle detail. It's your dog, you walk it." I have to fight the laughter from erupting from me as I look at Rose's expression. I know I have to be convincing that there could be something between Emily and me, so no matter how hard it is to do this, I have to side with her.

"Rose, Emily is new here. Could you do us this favor and walk the dog please?" Rose gives me her death glare, which I return. Oh yeah, I'm going to pay big time for this. She grabs the dog's leash and pulls it toward the door.

"Come on pooch. Let's see if we can find a hole in the fence with your name on it." she says as she walks out the door. Emily goes right over to Lissa and wedges herself between her and Christian and starts talking excitedly about all the people they both might know and whatnot. I see Dimitri looking at me with a smirk on his face. I walk up to him to see what he's on about.

"Something amusing, Belikov?" I ask.

"Yes, actually. You seem to have a knack for pissing off Rose. Or at least your new girlfriend does." He's enjoying this way too much for my taste. I'm about to say something back when I hear the worst noise ever, Emily's laugh. It's so nasaly and annoying. I look over and everyone is staring at her in shock. Can this get any worse? Tasha comes out of the kitchen and asks Eddie to go get Rose. I just hope she didn't do something to the dog that can't be fixed. The rest of us take our seats, Emily and I across from Lissa and Christian with Tasha and Dimitri at the ends. After about ten minutes, Rose and Eddie return. Thankfully Rose has to sit next to me since Eddie quickly stole the other available chair. Emily decides to start the conversation. Oh please don't let her say anything stupid.

"So do you normally eat with your guardians? Wouldn't they be more comfortable eating with their own kind?" Oh god, shoot me now. Everyone is stunned at her question, but Lissa speaks up.

"Rose, Eddie and Dimitri aren't just our guardians, they're our family." You can tell Lissa is pissed and it takes a lot to get her worked up, but of course Emily has no problem. Emily just smiles at Lissa like you would an annoying child. But does she shut up? Nooo.

"Well I can see why Guardian Hathaway is your guardian Adrian, and by the looks of her face, it isn't for her fighting skills." she chuckles. Oh no she didn't. I can feel Rose try to get up, but when I look over, I see Dimitri holding her down to her seat and whispering something in her ear. I look at Rose who unleashes her scariest glare at Emily and me._ So _going to pay for this. Thankfully, Rose settles down and no blood is shed. Everyone starts to relax a bit until Emily opens her mouth again. I don't know how much more I can take.

"So Tasha, when do I get to meet your husband?" I guess I wasn't clear on Tasha and Dimitri's relationship. I have the urge to start banging my head against the table so I'll black out and get out of this mess. I can tell Tasha is getting upset, but being the good hostess, she's keeping herself under control.

"Well, Dimitri and I aren't married yet, but we are expecting the baby around Christmas time." As Emily looks between Tasha and Dimitri, she looks appalled at the thought that a Moroi and a Dhampir could be in a relationship.

"You mean you got pregnant by you guardian?" I glance over to Dimitri and see his jaw clenched in anger. "Well, I guess with the reputation of your family and the scar on your face, you had to lower your standards if you wanted a family. Too bad the baby will only be a Dhampir." This can't be happening. I know, I'm being punked, right? Someone going to come out and tell me this is all a joke and Emily is in on it. Anybody? This isn't really happening, right? Oh, but it is. Tasha and Chrisian look like they're about light Emily's hair on fire and I think Rose has finally lost it, because she's laughing like a hyena next to me. Okay, if I don't get this girl out of here, we're both toast. I lead her into the living room, away from sharp objects.

"Emily, are you insane? You just insulted everybody in that room? They're my friends. Some of them are like family to me." I'm getting pissed myself at her attitude toward guardians and Dhampirs. "I think we need to leave. Get Spartacus and I'll let them know we're leaving." I tell her as I go back to the dining room. "I appologize for Emily. I'm going to escort her to her apartment now." I look over to Rose to ask about the shopping trip tomorrow. "Rose I know tomorrow is your day off, but Emily needs to get something at the mall so I told her I would take her. Would you like to come or should I get Guardian Taylor to come in your place?"

"You know I'll go. What time?" she sighs. I hate doing this to her, but what can I do?

"Meet us at the car by six." I tell her then give Tasha and Lissa a kiss on the cheek. I'm afraid to get too close to Rose right now, so I just wave. I'm such a coward.

I walk Emily to her apartment, prepared to say goodnight at the door. "Get some sleep and I'll meet you tomorrow at six to go to the mall. I'll have the guardians escorting us meet at the car. Goodnight." I say as I start to walk away. I don't get far when she grabs my arm and spins me around to face her. Next thing I know, she's kissing me. I don't kiss back but push her away as gently but firmly as I can. I want to scream at her to never do that again, but I can't. So I don't say anything at all, but turn and walk away again. How did I get myself in this mess?

I go back to my place and flop down on the couch. This has been one of the worst days, ever. Rose is probably so pissed at me, she'll never speak to me again. I have to see her, if only to heal the cuts and bruises on her face. I think I'll shower and change into more comfortable clothes and then go see her.

I knock on her door and pray that she isn't already asleep. She opens the door a crack and peeks out. "What do you want now Adrian?" she asks rather annoyed.

"Can I come in? I need to talk to you. About Emily." She hesitates for a second, but then lets me in. It looks like she's ready for bed. Her hair is still damp from her shower and she's wearing pajama shorts and a tight tank top. God, she looks good. Focus Adrian. I can see more cuts and bruises on the rest of her body and I get nauseus thinking about all the training she's going through. "First of all, will you let me heal you? I hate seeing you in pain." Rose rolls her eyes at me and then spreads her arms out in surrender. I touch her legs, arms torso and face and see all the injuries vanish. "Did I get them all?" I ask. I see her pause for a second and then nod. I know she's lying. "Rose, I just want to help you." She lets out a big breath and then turns around and lifts up the leg of her shorts, exposing a bruise on her left butt cheek. I smile at her and then lightly touch the area and heal it. "That wasn't so bad, was it?" I ask with a smile.

"No, it wasn't. Thanks. Is that all you wanted to do?" she asks. I know she's tired and wants to go to bed, but I need to explain Emily to her. I don't want to keep such secrets from her if I ever hope to win her over.

"I need to tell you what's going on with Emily." She walks over to her couch and takes a seat, motioning me to do the same. "First off, I can't stand her and I'm so sorry she said what she did to you and everyone else." Rose laughs at my admission.

"Yeah, we all hate her too. And that dog." I laugh along with her. I just hope she stays in this good mood for the rest of the story.

"I hear ya. Unfortunately, I somehow got myself in a sticky situation. Lord Conta wants me to date her to help increase her status in our society. If I don't, he's going after you." She looks at me confused.

"Adrian, I can handle myself. Guardian, remember?" she chuckles.

"Rose, you don't know this guy. When he sees something he wants, he'll stop at nothing until he gets it. If you lose your temper with him and attack, he'll have you arrested, jeopardizing your career." I need to make her see how serious this is. She takes a minute to think this over.

"Okay, so I don't hurt him. I'll just tell him 'no' and walk away." she shrugs like it's going to be that easy.

"No Rose. Men like him don't take kindly to rejection, especially from Dhampir women. They think Dhampirs are below them. They'll stoop to any level to get what they want. I don't want anything like that happening to you, so I told him I would date her." I can see the pain in her face, but she's trying hard to keep it from showing. I reach over and hold her hand and caress it between mine. "I have to make it look believable, so you can't tell anyone that it's all pretend on my part." I plead with her.

"Then why did you tell me?" she whispers.

"Because the thought of you thinking that there was another woman more important than you, makes me ill. I know that you said you can't be with me right now, but that doesn't mean what we feel for each other is going away. I also know there is something you're keeping from me." A look of panic flashes across her face. "I would hope that you could trust me with whatever secret you have, but I won't push you. I just hope it's worth all the pain it's causing the both of us." She doesn't say anything, but a tear falls down her cheek. I reach up to wipe it away, placing my hand on her face. She closes her eyes and leans into my touch.

"Adrian, I don't ever want to hurt you, but I do have my reasons for keeping my distance from you. I just can't tell you what they are. Please understand." Looking at her now, I just want to wrap her in my arms and run far, far away from here. But I have a feeling, it won't change anything.

"Well, I guess it's for the best anyway since I'm supposed to be dating Emily." I say bitterly. She leans in closer and pulls me into an embrace. I put my arms around her and hold her tight.

"I know you don't owe me anything, but could you do me a favor?" she asks, like I would deny her anything. I nod and she continues. "I realize for appearrances that you may have to kiss her, which I understand. But, please don't sleep with her. I hate asking you this since I keep pushing you away, but I don't think I could handle that." I pull her away so I can look her right in the eyes.

"I promise. I would never do anything to ruin even the slightest chance that one day you and I will be together. There is hope, right? Even the slightest?" I ask, holding my breath. She looks into my eyes, tears threatening to fall, and nods. My heart just about jumps out of my chest. I pull her back into a firm embrace, not wanting to let her go. That miniscule chance she just gave me has made me the happiest man alive. She pulls away and and laughs softly.

"Just don't turn into one of those guys that gets totally wrapped up in their girlfriend at the expense of his friends. We need to at least keep movie night just for us." she says.

"Of course. I wouldn't have it any other way." I smile. I can see her trying to stiffle a yawn and I know how tired she must be, so I get off the couch and head to the door, no matter how much I want to stay here with her. "I'll see you in the morning. Are you sure you want to go?" I double check.

"Adrian, you know my rule. You go nowhere outside these gates without me or Strigoi will be the least of your worries." she says firmly. I nod my head and start to walk out the door, but turn around instead and put my hands on her waist and pull her to me. I linger just centimeters from her lips, waiting to see if she pulls away. She doesn't, so I gently press my lips to hers. I pull away after only a few moments and smile.

"Good night Little Dhampir." I say going back to friend mode. She rolls her eyes at her nickname and pushes me away.

"Good night Adrian. See you and your girlfriend in the morning." she waves before shutting the door. I feel like I'm walking on air knowing that there is hope after all for Rose and me. I just have to be patient.

**So, what did you think of our favorite Moroi? Review and let me know.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks to all my readers and a big THANKS to all those that review. You ROCK!**

**I don't own it cause I'm not her.**

**Rose POV**

"Hey Mia, can I have a black coffee please?" I ask barely awake. I grab the change out of my pocket and dump it on the counter, a few pennies rolling onto the floor. I bend down to pick them up when I hear a wolfe whistle from behind me. I stand up and pull down my sunglasses to the end of my nose and look to see who the admirer is. Of course, it's Guardian Conner. I smile and give him a wink. He walks over to me and orders a coffee for himself. "What are you doing up this early?" I ask him. He isn't dressed in his uniform, so I'm guessing he's off.

"I'm actually going with you today to guard Lord Ivashkov." he says. He knows my rule about not dressing in uniform when guarding Adrian in public. We need to blend in with everyone else, and the uniforms are a beacon letting Strigoi know Moroi are near.

"What happened to Guardian Smith?" He's Adrian's other sanctioned guardian that usually comes with us on these outings.

"He's scheduled at the back gate and asked if I could help him out. He let me choose which assignment to do, and I couldn't pass up a chance to spend the day with the sexiest guardian around." he says nudging me in the ribs. At least I'll have someone fun around me to keep me from choking Emily to death.

"Here you go Rose. One coffee, black. You guarding Adrian today?" Mia asks while handing me my cup of Joe.

"Yep. Wish me luck." I say lifting my cup up in thanks and turning to get out of Conner's way. He gets his coffee and we walk out and to the car together, sipping as we go. We get there and see that Adrian and Emily, with that damn dog, and her two guardians waiting for us. Her Guardians are Guardain Gruber and Guardian Jenkins. Gruber is a big burley blonde guy and Jenkins is a petite brunette woman with a bob hairdo. Both are dressed in the black and white staunchy uniforms. I stop where I am and stare, mouth open, at them. "What the hell are you wearing? You can't blend in wearing those clothes. Go change into something more appropriate for a mall trip." I myself am dressed in my favorite low cut jeans and a red tank top that stops just above my belly botton. I also have my best ass-kicking boots on. They're great for hiding an extra stake. The fact that Adrian loves this outfit on me had nothing to do with the decision to wear it. Yeah right. Conner is even wearing jeans and a concert tshirt for some band I never heard of.

"I will not be escorted around by guardians in street clothes. They will wear the formal attire that proper guardians wear." Emily spats. It is just too early to deal with this shit. I walk up to her and stand just a couple feet away.

"My job is to protect Lord Ivashkov at all costs. Having your guardians in clothes that scream "Hey Strigoi, royal Moroi over here, come have a snack" makes my job that much harder. The longer we can go without attracting attention, the better. Since I'm Adrian's head guardian, I am in charge, and I say they wear their civilian clothes." I say to her. I look over to her two guardian who are waiting for the final word on what to do and I wave them off. Emily looks appalled that I talked to her that way.

"How dare you talk to me like that, or address him so casually. He is Lord Ivashkov to you." she glares at me. I look over to Adrian, as does she for the final word.

"Emily, Rose is more than my guardian, she's my best friend. She knows when to address me formally and other times I prefer her to use my first name." he says. I look over to her and give her a 'ha ha, I won' smile.

"Well, I hope my guardians know better than to dress like common trash." she says looking over my outfit. My blood starts to boil immediately as my fists clench and I fight the urge to punch her lights out when I feel Conner come up behind me and put both hands on my arm and start rubbing them up and down, calming me. He leans down to whisper in my ear.

"Personally, I think you look hot." I can't help but laugh at that. I can see Adrian eyeing Conner's hands so I step out of his reach. While we wait for the other guardians to return, I need to talk to Adrian.

"Can I speak to you please,_ Lord Ivashkov_." I say his title sarcastically for Emily's benefit as I pull him away to speak privately. When we're out of hearing range, I start. "Umm, I was planning on taking a trip to the mall to get a few things today, but since I'll be on duty, I can't pick them up. I don't want to go back afterwards, so could you by any chance get them for me?" I ask with my puppy dog eyes he can never resist.

"Of course, you know I'd do anything for you. What do you need?" he smiles that smile that melts my core. I pull out a piece of paper from my hip pocket with a list of items I need and hand it to him.

"Not much. It's just some body butter and shampoo and conditioner from Bath and Body Works. Here are the ones I use." I point to the list with the details on it. He looks it over and puts it in his pocket. I dig into my purse and pull out some money to give to him to purchase my items and hand it to him. Adrians sighs and puts the money back in my bag.

"Rose, it's my treat." I start to protest, but he gives me a firm look that tells me I'm not winning this battle, so I put my hands up in surrender and let him offer to pay. He looks over to Emily and then back to me, frowning.

"She's watching us, otherwise I'd try to steal a kiss." he says staring off into the distance. I smile to myself at his admission.

"That probably wouldn't be a very good idea anyway. I need to stay focused on the task at hand, keeping you alive. If you were to kiss me, I'd be thinking about that all afternoon instead looking out for danger." I say playfully, but still seriously at the same time.

"Well, if you didn't want me to kiss you, you shouldn't have worn that outfit you know I love on you." he smirks. I roll my eyes and grab his elbow to take him back to the car.

"Behave yourself." I tell him before we get back to _her_. Her guardians finally make it back looking much better and I go over the rules. "Alright, we'll be near and far guards. Guardian Gruber and I will be near and you two will be far. I'm sure Lady Conta wants us to be inconspicuous, so we'll keep a safe distance to give them some privacy. Keep your radios on at all times. Let's go. Conner I'll let you drive since you know where we're going." We all start to get in when Emily hands Spartacus over to Gruber to take on a last minute walk. This is going to be a miserable day. Finally, we get in the car and start driving to the mall. I sit in the back with Jenkins and have to watch Emily flirt with Adrian the whole drive over. She keeps playfully bumping his shoulder and touching him whenever she can. I so want to wrap my hands around her throat and squeeze.

We get to the mall, and I get out first to make sure there are no Strigoi about. I know that odds are low since it's still light out, but you can never be too sure. Adrian helps Emily out of the car like the gentleman he is and she takes his hand as we walk to the enterance. I glare at their hands as Guardian Gruber and I follow them in. The first store they stop at is a designer bag store. Gruber and I follow them in, looking over the store for any danger while Conner and Jenkins stay on watch outside. I hear a loud squeel and I turn to find out where the hell it came from, only to see Emily jumping up and down in front of a large dog carrier bag. The salesman gets a bag from the back and rings her up at the counter while I stroll over to the display to see what the big deal is about. It doesn't look all that impressive to me, especially for the two thousand dollar price tag on it. Can't she find something better to do with her money?

As we're leaving the store, I see Emily start to come over to us to give Gruber her bag, but Adrian takes it and carries it after he sees the look I shoot her. As they get to Bath and Body Works, Adrian pulls Emily inside to get the items I requested. He grabs a hand basket and pulls out the list and starts shopping. I stand by the enterance, watching him with amusement. He grabs the body butter I have on the list and Emily looks at him with confusion.

"You use this?" she asks as she holds up a tub of the butter. Adrian shakes his head and lightly laughs.

"No, Rose asked me to get her a few items since she's on duty when this was supposed to be her day off. I'm helping her out." he tells her. She looks over to me and glares.

"You run errands for your guardian?" she asks appalled. "I think you have it backwards, Adrian." I look over to Guardian Gruber and he just shrugs at me. I think Lady Conta is way overdue for an attitude adjustment.

"I told you before, Emily, Rose is my best friend. I love helping her out when I can, especially when you consider that she'll give her life to save mine, and nearly did a couple times. The least I can do is get her some shampoo." Adrian tells her, getting a little pissed with her. Then , instead of just getting the couple items on my list, he starts throwing all sorts of stuff in the basket. I want to go over and tell him to stop, but the look on Emily's face was too funny. So I just stand back and enjoy the show. Even Gruber cracks a smile at her annoyed expression. He pays for the items and walks out, giving me a wink as he passes.

As we follow the Moroi around from store to store, I try to get to know Guardian Gruber better by asking him questions.

"So Grube, how long have you been guarding Spartacus and the bitch that carries him around?" He seems stunned by my bluntness and overall disregard for his charge, but answers anyway.

"Three years." he says stiffly, eyes continually moving watching our surroundings.

"I don't know how you do it. I think I'd be in jail for kicking her ass the first day I was assigned to her." I look him over and see him stiffen at my inspection. "I bet you have an outlet for all your frustration, though. Hmm, let me guess. Do you have a voodoo doll that looks just like her that you stick pins in and torture wishing it were her?" I ask hoping it's something cool like that. I see the corner of his mouth pull up a bit.

"Actually, I go to the batting cages not far from their estate and imagine each ball is her head." he whispers, probably afraid that she'll hear him. I laugh imagining him hitting little Emily heads for home runs. Conner and Jenkins must have heard our conversation through the earpieces because I hear them chuckling through mine.

"Conner, you better be paying attention to more than just my ass back there." I tease. He doesn't respond right away, but I can imagine him blushing.

"Sorry Hathaway, but maybe you shouldn't wear something so distracting." I gave my butt a little extra shake after that and everyone laughed. I doubt that Gruber and Jenkins have ever laughed while on duty. I'm such a bad influence.

Finally, Emily decides she's hungry and needs to eat. I was hungry an hour ago, but what I want doesn't matter. Adrian and Emily sit together at one table while we guardians sit at another, not too far away. This way, we can each watch the entire area together and eat at the same time. The guys go and get food for us ladies while we guard Emily and the mut. Conner ordered me a burger and some tator tots. I pick up a tot and look over to Gruber and mouth the word 'Emily' and chomp on it and start chewing vigorously, causing our table to erupt in laughter. I see Emily throw a disapproving look our way, so we settle down as much as possible. But each time a throw a tot in my mouth, giggles would start. Adrian looks over to me with a confused look on his face and I give him my best innocent look and shrug my shoulders. He smiles at me and shakes his head knowing I'm up to something.

I look over to their table during lunch to see Emily flirting again and feeding Adrian french fries and wiping his mouth with a napkin. I hate the fact that she's touching him like that and there's nothing I can do about it. I just chomp on my tator tots even harder to relieve some of the stress watching them is causing me.

Lunch is over, so we go along again, going from store to store. This time Conner is with me and he has his arm around my waist. I hope he isn't getting too attached to me and taking the fun flirting too seriously like Mason. I'll have to talk to him about it later. Emily drags Adrian into a jewelry store and starts looking around. She sees something she likes and shows Adrian. Conner and I look around too, pretending to be a couple. We look at the engagement rings which aren't too far from where Adrian is with Emily. My eye stops at this gorgeous emerald ring with two diamonds on either side of it. The emerald is the same shade of green as Adrian's eyes. It's so beautiful I can't stop staring.

"You like that one?" Conner asks me. I look up to him and nod my head. I ask the salesperson who has been hovering over us since we walked in, how much it was. The fifteen thousand dollar price was too rich for my blood. Oh well. I look over and see Adrian paying for something. Great. He already bought her jewelry. She looks so happy jumping up and down next to him. She leans in and gives him a kiss on the cheek as they walk out. My hands close into tight fists and I have to remember to do my deep breathing exercises to relax. I remind myself that Adrian is doing all this for me, so I calm down.

Finally, Emily is tired and wants to leave. Of course, it's now dark outside and the risk of running into Strigoi is dangerously high considering our past experiences. We get to the doors that lead outside and I look over to see Emily handing Guardian Gruber a bunch of bags to carry. I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose and remind myself not to kill her. I walk over to Gruber and snatch the bags from him and shove them at Emily. "He is your guardian, not a porter. He can't fight Strigoi and hold these for you. You wanted to buy this stuff, you carry it or hire someone for that specific purpose." I tell her getting angrier at her shocked expression. "I need him to be alert and ready to fight." I have them all position themselves around the two Moroi with me in front and Conner next to Adrian. As we start walking to the car, I feel the nausea kick in. "Shit!"

I look around and see five Strigoi walking toward us from my left. "There are five on the left. Let's pick up the pace." We all start walking faster toward the car and I can hear Emily start to panick. Just what I need. As the pack of Strigoi get closer, I know we need to face them head on if we have any chance of getting out of here alive. I turn and stop right in front of what appears to be the leader. In the back of my mind I wonder if they work for Stephan and if he's close by. I pull my stake out of my holster and get ready to fight.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the legandary Rose Hathaway. The tales of your beauty don't due you justice." the lead guy says in what sounds like an Italian accent. If it wasn't for the red ringed eyes and the fact he wants to kill me, I would be flattered by his compliment and charm. "I can't wait to see if the rest of the story about you is true."

"If you're referring to how lethal I am, then yes, it's true. Too bad you'll be dead right after you see it first hand." I tell him as I keep my eyes on his, his smile getting even bigger.

"You have spunk, my pretty Dhampir. I'm going to have fun with you." he says as he snaps his fingers and the other Strigoi come at us. I run up to one and begin fighting. He's strong and gets a good punch to my ribs, causing me to stumble, but I recover quickly and continue. He makes a mistake and leaves an opening where I quickly take advantage and plunge my stake into his heart. I look over and see the others fighting, so I run to Adrian and Emily to make sure they're alright. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Guardian Jenkins having some trouble, so I join her and take down the Stigoi in seconds.

Just as we are about to go help the guys, I see three more coming up behind Adrian and Emily. I run over and and start fighting all three at once. Now I'm very thankful for all the extra training I've been doing. I manage to get one staked, but the other two are still attacking. Suddenly, I hear barking getting closer and Spartacus come running up to me. I try to ignore him and focus on the Strigoi, but then Emily screams and runs in my direction to get the dog. Strigoi number three took the opportunity and grabbed Emily when she got too close. Stupid girl. I reached down into my boot and took out the silver dagger I had hidden. I cut the one I'm fighting in the leg, which causes him to scream bloody murder. I then stand up and punch him in the face, making him stumble, and then stake his heart. I turn just in time to see the Strigoi bite down on Emily's neck. I run over to him and he throws her down to the ground, still alive. I start fighting this one, but he's more skilled than the others. He was definitely a guardian before he was turned.

"You're not bad guardian, but I'm better." he says.

"Apparently not if you lost at least one fight, considering you were turned and all." I taunt him. That seems to have just angered him. He hits me hard with a backhand that sends me flying on my back. I lie there still, waiting for him to come over and finish the job. As soon as I feel he's right on top of me, I sit up and jam my stake into his chest, hitting his heart. His body falls on top of me, and I use what energy I have left to push him off. I reach my hand back and feel blood in my hair and black spots start flashing in my eyes. I look around and see Adrian alive and running towards me. The nausea is gone so I know it's safe.

"Rose, are you okay? Can you get up?" he fusses over me. He helps me stand up, but I'm dizzy so he helps me walk to the car. Guardian Gruber picks up Emily while Jenkins grabs Spartacus and runs to the car. Conner calls the alchemist and we take off back to Court. Adrian wants to heal me, but I stop him.

"You need to heal Emily. It'll look suspicious if you heal me instead of her, since you're supposed to be dating and all. I'll be fine. Tough guardian, remember." I force a laugh, hoping he believes me. He doesn't, but does as I wish anyways. Adrian trades places with Guardian Gruber who lets me rest my head on his shoulder. Adrian heals Emily and she immediately grabs the dog and starts crying about how he was almost killed. I'm sitting behind her bleeding with most likely a couple broken ribs, not to mention the fact I just saved her miserable life and she cares more about the dumb dog. I can see Adrian get pissed and about to explode, when I shake my head to stop him.

Just as I am about to say something to her, Guardian Gruber speaks up. "Lady Conta, Guardian Hathaway was almost killed saving your life. I think you could at least show her some gratitude." he says calmly, though I can hear irritation in his voice.

"Gratitude? All you people have been telling me is that your job is to keep us safe from Strigoi. Well, since I was almost killed by one, I don't think I have anything to be thanking her for." she yells. I sit up in my seat, madder than hell and pull my arm back, ready to strike, when Gruber wraps his arms around me, pinning my arms to my sides, effectively restraining me.

"She's not worth it." he whispers in my ear. That's the second time I've been told this fact. If she keeps it up, it will be worth any punishment I recieve to beat the crap out of her. We get back to Court and her guardians walk her and her bags to her apartment. She wants Adrian to walk with her but he's so pissed right now, he declines.

"Sorry Emily, but I need to make sure Rose is alright. I'll see you tomorrow at work." he says abruptly. He picks me up and walks me into the infirmary, yelling for a doctor to help me. He lays me down on the bed they assign to me and holds my hand. Guardian Conner is standing at the foot of the bed, watching us.

"I'm going to go report the attack. Did either of you see where the leader went? I don't remember seeing anyone kill him." Conner asks. I was little preoccupied to notice and Adrian was too busy watching me. Conner walks out the door, leaving Adrian and I alone.

"Are you going to be okay, Rose? I hate seeing you like this." I see the pain and guilt he feels in his eyes. He looks so tired and drained from healing that ungrateful bitch. Now I wish I let him heal me instead of her. She could use a little pain.

"I've been through worse and survived. This is nothing." I say with a smile trying to make him feel better. He manages to give me a weak smile and holds my hand tighter. "Why don't you go to the feeders and then get some rest." I suggest. "You can heal me tomorrow if that will make you feel better."

"I'm not leaving your side until they release you." I start to tell him not to bother, but he interupts. "Don't fight it Little Dhampir." he says with a smile. "You aren't getting rid of me that easily." I smile back, grateful that he's so stubborn.

**I hope you liked that chapter. I bet Rose is wishing she let the Strigoi finish Emily off before staking him. Anyway, thanks for reading and please review to let me know how I'm doing.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks for all the awesome reviews. You rock!**

**I don't own Vampire Academy. Like you didn't know.**

**Rose POV**

I'm awaken by something squeezing the hell out of my arm. I open my eyes to see a nurse pumpming air into the cuff to check my blood pressure. You would think she could wait until I was awake. Now fully conscious, I feel my head throbbing and I can't inhale too deeply because of the pain in my side. Damn Strigoi. I roll my head over to see Adrian sleeping with his head and arm on the side of my bed. He's been here all night, even though I told him to go home to sleep. He never listens. I look at the clock and notice that he needs to be at work in two hours, and I don't think he's been to the feeders yet. He healed Emily last night, which I know drains his energy. I need to get him up and out of here before he's late for work. I gently run my hands through his tousled hair. I love his hair, it's so soft and silky. He begins to stir as my fingers stroke his cheek and lightly trace his luscious lips.

"Mmm, Rose." he mumbles in his sleep. I laugh lightly and continue to play with his hair and trace the contours of his face. He eventually opens an eye and I smile at him. He pops his head up and looks so serious. "Rose, how are you feeling?"

"I've been better, but I'll be okay. You on the other hand need to get ready for work." I remind him. "Don't forget to go to the feeders first. You look like hell." I tease. He lets out a big sigh.

"Here you are, laying in a hospital bed, yet you continue to worry about me." he takes my hand in his and begins to rub soothing circles with his thumb on my skin. "Why don't you let me take care of you for once. Work can wait." he tells me.

"Adrian, what are you talking about? You always take care of me, healing me, feeding me, buying a shitload of beauty products for me." I say laughing thinking about his shopping spree at the mall yesterday for me. He joins me laughing at the look on Emily's face when he did that. I calm down after a few minutes and lean my head back against the pillow and just look at him. He loves me. He loves me enough to put up with my resistance, thank goodness. "Thanks." I say simply. He smiles at me and brings my hand up to his lips and sweetly kisses it like they do in old movies.

"I'd do anything for you, Rose." he tells me, completely sincere.

"Well, then do me a favor and go to the feeders. I'll feel much better knowing you'll be okay." If I wasn't stuck in this bed, I'd drag his ass there myself. He sighs and drops his head on defeat.

"As you wish. but I'm coming right back afterwards. No arguments." he says firmly. I nod my head and smile knowing I at least won the battle. He stands up, but leans down and kisses my forehead tenderly. He rushes out the door as I yell after him.

"And take a shower while you're at it." I hope he heard me, he was running pretty fast. I look around the room wondering how long I'm going to be stuck here. I want nothing more than to go back to my own room and sleep all day. I become aware of the ever increasing pressure in my bladder. Of course now that I noticed, I feel like I'm going to burst at any moment. I quickly but carefully get out of bed and head straight to the bathroom. After what seems like forever, I'm finally empty and walk over to the sink to wash my hands. I look in the little mirror and gasp. My hair looks like small animals are nesting in it and my make up is all smeared. I grab a wash cloth and some soap and precede to wash the grime off my face. The warm cloth feels so soothing on my skin. I take my time and enjoy the comfort this small act brings me. I try to calm my hair down with some water and my fingers, but it still looks bad. Oh well. Hopefully I'll be released soon and can take a proper shower in my own bathroom. I walk back to my bed, only to find someone sitting in the chair Adrian occupied earler, and it isn't him.

"Guardian Hathaway, I'm happy to see that you're up and about." Lord Conta says as he rises from his seat in a gentlemanly fasion while I climb back into bed. Why is he here? He's sitting in the chair staring at me with an amused smile on his face. If I didn't know I'd get in trouble, I'd smack that look right off his face.

"Why are you in my room?" I ask getting right to the point. Just because he's royal doesn't mean I have to be nice.

"I heard what you did for my daughter last night. I wanted to thank you personally for protecting her the way you did."

"The way Emily was bitching last night, I would think you'd be filing a complaint against me for allowing her to be hurt. Besides, I didn't kill that Strigoi for _her_ benefit." Just thinking about last night and her actions is pissing me off again. He doesn't say anything for a moment, but stares at me, making my skin crawl.

"I do appologize for my daughter's harsh words. And even though saving Emily wasn't your main focus, I'm still grateful to you. If there is anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate to ask." I know he has an ulterior motive for being so concerned for my well being, and I bet it's got everything to do with what Adrian talked to me about the other night.

"Are you this nice to every guardian that protects your daughter, or just the ones you hope to get naked with?" I tell him letting him know I'm on to him. He laughs lightly at my directness, but doesn't deny it.

"I like you Rose. I hope the passion you use to do your job carries on into the bedroom." Whoa, talk about directness. He's overly confident that he's going to succeed in his little game.

"You'll never know." I say defiantly.

"You say that now. I feel confident that very soon, you'll come around." I get a queasy feeling in my gut when he says this. I wouldn't be surprised if he has something brewing in that sick little mind of his. I was so focused on what Lord Conta was implying that I didn't even hear someone come in the room.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Adrian practically screams. His outburst doesn't seem to faze the old pervert. He gets up from the chair and walks toward the door, all while smiling that sick smile of his.

"I'll let you rest now. I'm glad you're alright, but remember, call me if you need anything, anything at all." He nods to Adrian and then leaves out the door. Adrian just glares at him as he walks away. He turns his head toward me and a look of concern crosses his face.

"Did he hurt you?" he asks hurrying over to my bed. I resist the urge to roll my eyes since I know that he's just concerned for me, but I can take care of myself. At least it looks like he took my advice and went home to clean up.

"No, he didn't do anything. He just came to thank me for saving his darling daughter." I say sarcastically. I don't want to tell Adrian more than that since he'll just worry.

"At least you get the day off. I have to go spend the next four hours with her and that boring committee. And then she'll probably want to spend the evening with me." he sighs. I give him a sympathetic look, because it does sound a lot worse than suffering a mild concussion and broken ribs.

"Well, come by my place after you ditch her and keep me company. Hopefully I'll spring this joint and go home today." Hopefully being the key word. I hate hospitals.

"I'll just heal you now, and then you can get out of here this morning." he reaches his hand to my head, but I stop him before he can do anything.

"No Adrian. You need to keep your energy up for your day. You can heal me tonight, okay? I'll be fine until then." I look intently in his eyes, hoping he believes me. He smiles at me and puts his hand back down to his side.

"Fine, but I don't want you going home alone. Call another guardian to escort you back to your room if I'm not available." he says sternly. I nod, giving him this little victory. There's still about an hour until he needs to leave, so he hops up and sits in the bed next to me while we watch Jerry Springer and make fun of the guests. He has his arm around my shoulder as we laugh at the tv when Emily comes walking through the door. What is with this family just letting themselves into places they weren't invited to.

"Adrian, I was looking for you but you weren't at your apartment. I guess I should've figured you'd be with_ her_." she looks disgusted at the two of us together. I feel Adrian tense next to me, so I rub my hand on his knee, hoping to calm him down. It's just an automatic response when I should really just let him go off on her.

"I came to make sure Rose was alright. I would think you would do the same." She exhales loudly and walks over the side of the bed Adrian is sitting on and looks over to me with a fake smile on her face. Like that fools me.

"Rose, I do appreciate everything you did for me last night. I'm sure you'll be up and fighting again in no time." she says way too sweetly.

"I'm sure I will be. Thanks for stopping by." I return the same sickly sweet tone. She switches her gaze to Adrian, waiting for him to leave with her. It's about time for him to leave anyway, so he gives my shoulder another squeeze and leans closer to me.

"I'll see you tonight, I promise." he whispers in my ear. I give him a smile as he gets off the bed. I suddenly feel cold with out him next to me. He leans back down and kisses my forehead, right in front of her. "Take care, Little Dhampir." he says with a wink. I don't think Emily likes the affection he shows me by the murderous look on her face right now. I can't help but let out a chuckle at her reaction. She grabs his hand as they walk out the door. But before they actually leave, she stops him and quickly stretches up and crashes her lips to his right in front of me. She pulls away before Adrian can object and drags him out down the hallway. Ooh, that bitch! She did that just to rub it in. Too bad she doesn't know his true feelings. I don't know how much longer I can stand this chick before she meets with an unfortunate accident.

For the next few hours, I let thoughts of different ways to torture Emily consume me. A couple of my favorites involve honey and red ants or blue dye and her shampoo. As I'm picturing her screaming in front of her mirror at her new hair color, the doctor comes in to talk to me.

"Well Guardian Hathaway, you seem to be stable, so I think we can release you today. You will be on bedrest until I tell you otherwise. Come back next week so I can take a look at your ribs and see how they're healing. You'll need someone to come pick you up. I don't want you leaving alone." Dr Brown looks at me intently, making sure I understand his instructions.

"Yes Doctor. Understood." He leaves and a nurse comes in to release me. Okay, now I have to find someone to get me outta here. Lissa, Christian and Eddie are at school. Today was the first day of the new school year. Adrian is still at work as is Tasha. I'll call Mia. Maybe she can help me. I dial her number and wait. I get her voice mail, so I hang up. Hmm. I guess I can try Guardian Conner to see if he's available. I start to calll him, when there's a knock on my door. Whoever it is doesn't wait for a repply, but let's themselves in. It's Dimitri.

"Rose, I just heard what happened. Are you alright?" he sounds worried.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a mild concussion and a few broken ribs. Don't worry, I'll be up and ready to kick your ass in no time." I tease him. He smiles and shakes his head.

"Oh Roza." He walks over and sits in the chair next to the bed.

"Hey, I'm glad you're here actually." I tell him and he raises an eyebrow waiting to hear my reason for my sudden interest in his presence. "I need someone to escort me home and I can't get ahold of anyone. Can you help me out?" I give him my puppy dog eyes that no one can resist. He smiles and nods.

"Of course. You just need to ask." He helps me get out of bed, even though I could do it on my own, and I go change into the clothes I wore last night. The tank top I have on doesn't entirely cover my injuries and I hear him gasp when I come out of the bathroom.

"It looks worse than it is." I try to reassure him. I think he knows I'm not being totally truthful, but doesn't say anything about it. He walks me to my door and into my apartment. He looks around, taking it all in since he's never been here before. There's really not much to see since I used to spend most of my time at Adrian's when I wasn't on duty. He picks up a picture on the shelf of Adrian and me. Adrian is giving me a piggyback ride and we're both laughing in the picture. He sets it back down and turns to look at me.

"Are you happy being Ivashkov's guardian?" Where is this coming from?

"Yes. It's not easy, that's for sure, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. Not even to be Lissa's guardian." He seems surprised by my admission, but I can't tell him it's because Adrian needs my protection more.

"I thought protecting Lissa was what you wanted. The main reason I left was so I didn't interfere with your future career as her guardian. And now you tell me that you would rather guard Adrian..." he trails off, looking upset. "If I would've known, we could have stayed together." he sighs.

"No Dimitri. When you left, Lissa was the most important Moroi in my life. But then, Adrian was there for me when no one else was. He's shown me how important I am to him and he became important to me. He needs me and I need him." I shrug like it's the most obvious thing in the world. Dimitri stands there looking at me like he's trying to figure something out.

"He loves you, and you love him." he states. God, is it that obvious? I haven't told Adrian I love him yet, so I'm not going to admit it to Dimitri first.

"Adrian hasn't kept his feelings for me a secret, but we are just friends. Best friends. I'll always be there for him, no matter who else enters his life." I cringe a little thinking about Emily. Again, I don't think he totally believes me but is kind enough not to push it. He was always able to see right through me. "Well, thanks for helping get home, but I'm in desperate need of a hot shower and a nap. So if you'll excuse me." Dimitri walks to the door but stops and turns back to me.

"Take care of yourself and if you need anything at all, call me and I'll be right over." I nod and he walks out, shutting the door behind him.

All this drama and trauma that has happened in such a short amount of time is starting to get to me. My head is starting to hurt again but I'm not really sure if it's from my recent injury or just stress. I take a couple painkillers and go to take a shower. Washing my hair proved difficult since I couldn't lift one arm up enough and the cut on my head hurt to touch. I did the best I could and got out and dried off. I put on some comfy pajama shorts and tank top and crawl into bed. I'm hungry but too tired to go hunt something down in my bare kitchen. As soon as my head hits my pillow, I'm out.

I find myself dreaming of Adrian and I walking along a street in London, holding hands and talking intimately with each other. It's the same street we were on when the Strigoi attacked and almost killed me. This time, we seem to be a loving couple strolling down the sidewalk without a care in the world. Adrian leans in and whispers how much he loves me in my ear, when suddenly he is pulled back. I turn only to see a red eyed man biting into his neck. I try to pull out my stake and attack, but it's too late. Adrian's limp, lifeless body falls to the ground at the Strigoi's feet. I look up to see the Italian Strigoi from last night smiling at me with blood all over his lips, Adrian's blood. I wake up screaming Adrian's name. I sit up, sweaty and shaking and look around to see I'm back in my room. This dream is reminding me that I can't let myself get distracted or he'll die. My heart is pounding so hard I'm surprised I'm still alive. I slowly get out of bed and head to the kitchen to get a glass of water. My hands are still shaking as the images of Adrian's body laying bloody on the ground linger in my mind.

I don't want to go back to sleep, fearing I might have the same dream, or worse, so I sit on the couch and try to watch tv. I look over at the clock and see that it's well past dinner time and Adrian hasn't come over yet. My stomach growls at me for neglecting it for so long. Well, since I'm not going to sleep, I might as well eat. I look through the cupboards but don't find much. I pick up a can and find it's a can of corn. When did I buy this and why? Oh well. I dump it in a dish and pop it in the microwave. Who says I can't cook? When it's done I head back to the couch, bowl of corn in hand. I start eating when there's a knock at the door. I open it to see Adrian smiling at me, thankfully alone.

"Hey Little Dhampir, whatcha eating? He looks in the bowl I'm carrying and furrows his brow. "You're eating corn." he states, Well, duh. I walk back to the couch and sit back down and continue to eat my dinner. He follows, sitting right next to me. "That can't be very filling." he motions to my bowl. I shrug.

"It was between this and a can of stewed tomatos, which I have no idea why I have in the first place." I take another bite. He laughs and puts him arm around my shoulders and takes the remote and starts searching for anything good. We watch the end of some old black and white movie I've never seen before, before a huge yawn escapes.

"Rose, if you're tired, you should sleep. Come on." he says pulling me up with him. "Let's get you tucked in and I'll heal you too." He guides me into my bedroom, his hand on the small of my back. He pulls back my covers and I climb in. He kneels down by the bed and places his hand on my side and I feel the wonderful sensation of heat and cold throughout my body. He heals the wound on my head as well. Ah, I feel so much better. I pull the tape off my ribs and throw it in the trash can by my bed. "Sleep tight Little Dhampir. I'll see you later." He kisses my forehead and starts to get up to leave. The nightmare I had earlier flashes in my mind and I reach out and grab his wrist to stop him.

"I don't want to go back to sleep. Bad dream. Could you stay with me like you used to?" Back when Dimitri left, I had nightmares of being left alone in a large field. He would sleep next to me and dream walk with me to keep the bad images away. He looks over to me and nods his head. I scoot over to give him room while he removes his shoes and jeans, leaving him in his boxers and tshirt. I'm tempted to tell him to loose the shirt, but I don't. He slides in next to me and wraps his arms around me. I lay my head on his chest and listen to the steady beat of heart.

"Do you want to tell me what the nightmare was about?" he asks softly.

"No. You don't want to know." I hope he doesn't persist.

"Rose, you know you can trust me. Talking about it might help." I don't say anything for quite awhile, but for some reason decide to tell him. I don't even know if he's still awake.

"I failed you." I say barely a whisper. I don't think he heard me because he doesn't respond. He must have fallen asleep. Then I feel him pull me closer to him.

"You could never fail me Rose." he says.

"Yes I can. All it takes is for me to get distracted and you're dead. That's my nightmare, my greatest nightmare." I feel tears falling from my eyes onto his chest. I try to wipe them away, but he stops me and caresses my face with his hand.

"I trust you Rose. You're the best guardian and I know you'll do everything you can to keep me safe. Just as I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe." I love how he has such faith in me. I just hope his faith isn't misplaced. He puts a finger under my chin and tilts it up, my lips now barely touching his. He moves closer and genlty presses his lips to mine. I respond, our lips moving in synch, perfectly fitting with the other. All too soon, he breaks contact and moves up to kiss the tip of my nose and then my forehead. "Good night Little Dhampir. I'll see you in our dream." I cuddle closer to him, sleep finding me. Thankfully with Adrian by my side and in my head, nightmares stay far away from me.

**Isn't Adrian just the sweetest? I wonder what Lord Conta could be up to. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review and let me know what you think.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Oh my gosh, You guys are fabulous with those reviews. I love it. I thought it was time we heard from our precious Emily. What is really going on in her head? **

**I love Vampire Academy, but I don't own it.**

**Emily POV**

"Daddy, you will not believe what happened to me last night." If there is anyone in this world that will understand what I'm going through right now, it's my dad.

"What happened, pumpkin? Are you alright?" he asks so concerned. Yep, I'm a daddy's girl, and proud of it.

"That horrid Guardian Hathaway almost let me get killed by a Strigoi last night. She also yelled at me and was rude to me all day long. I don't like her daddy. I want her fired. I want her arrested and jailed for what she did to me." I know I sound like a whiny baby right now, but she messed with the wrong girl. No one treats me like that and walks away unscathed.

"Emily, are you sure she purposely tried to get you killed? You are prone to exageration. I doubt she would purposely let you be harmed." Is he fucking sticking up for her?

"Daddy, I was bitten by one of those monsters and she's to blame. Now what are you going to do about it?" I scream into my phone. Patience is not one of my greater qualities.

"I will look into it. I will talk to your guardians and hear what they have to say. If what you say is true, I will do everything in my power to have her de-sanctioned and criminal charges brought against her." Hearing him say that he'd do as I asked made me feel so much better.

"Thank you, daddy. I have to go now. Today's my first day on that stupid committee and I don't want to be late." I hate the whole idea of Moroi fighting with the guardians. It's barbaric, but I was asked to represent the traditionalist, so here I am.

"Alright, pumpkin. I talk to you later after I talk to the other guardians." I hang up the phone and throw it down on my bed. I walk to my bathroom to get ready for my day and look in my mirror. I move the hair away from my neck and look to see if I can see any bite marks. Amazingly, there aren't any. Adrian's pretty amazing with healing. I love the fact that he healed me and not that stupid guardian of his. At least he knows who is the priority between the two of us. She seems to have him brainwashed to think that she is his equal. The way she had him doing her errands is shameful. Poor guy. Lucky for him, I'm here now to get him back on the right track. She is in for a rude awakening. One that is long overdue. Of course, it seems she has other royals thinking that guardians are just as important as Moroi. Those friends of his we had dinner with the other night are totally clueless. It's going to be hard work, but I'll get them all straightened out. But that Ozera lady is going to be harder to deprogram since she's already pregnant by her guardian. How scandalous. I might just have to forget about her, but the princess, she needs to see the light.

After I'm dressed and ready for the day, I go find Spartacus chewing on his doggy toys in the living room. Time for his walk. Normally, Guardian Gruber would do this, but daddy is probably talking to him, getting all the evidence he needs to get Guardian Hathaway sent away for a long time. Ugh, I can't believe she didn't kill the Stigoi that grabbed me sooner. No, she had to take her time with the other one, letting me almost get killed. I know she doesn't like me because I'm interferring with her control over Adrian. Just because she's pretty and has a body most men find attractive she thinks she get them to do whatever she wants. She's had him all to herself for too long and she's threatened. Well, she should be. Adrian and I are a much better match. The fact that he's the Queen's nephew is an added bonus.

"Hey Spartacus, baby. Did you go tinkle winkle? Huh, boy?" He wags his little tail at me. We walk to my apartment and I leave my baby there and go to Adrian's to walk to work together. I knock on the door for like five minutes, but he doesn't answer. He doesn't seem the type to show up to work early. I bet he's with her. The sooner I break him of this inappropriate hold she has on him, the better. She's probably at the hospital since she did seem pretty banged up last night. Good, she deserves it. I'll go check over there.

I find out which room is hers and go straight there. I walk right in, not bothering to knock, and see Adrian sitting in the bed with her, laughing like children. "Adrian, I was looking for you but you weren't at your apartment. I guess I should've figured you'd be with_ her_." The thought of being so cozy with the help, which is basically what guardians are, is disgraceful.

"I came to make sure Rose was alright. I would think you would do the same." he tells me in a tense voice. I don't know why he would think that. She's got him so wrapped around her little finger, he's actually mad at me. This is going to be harder than I thought. I'll have to take this slow. Choose my battles. I walk over to the side of the bed and put on my best smile.

"Rose, I do appreciate everything you did for me last night. I'm sure you'll be up and fighting again in no time." I try say it as nicely as I can, but it sounds so fake to me, because it is.

"I'm sure I will be. Thanks for stopping by." she replies in the same tone I used, mocking me. Okay, I'm so done talking to her. I look at Adrian and wait for him to be done with her so we can go. After a few moments, he whispers something to her and gets off the bed. But then he kisses her on the forehead.

"Take care, Little Dhampir." he calls her by that rediculous nickname. Oh, man I hate her. She just thinks she can rub it in that she has him totally under her spell. Well, not for long. I grab his hand and lead him out. Hmm. Before we leave, maybe I should show her a little preview of what will soon be the norm. I stop in the doorway and kiss him on the lips. I keep it short, only needing a brief kiss to get my point across. I pull him out into the hallway so we can get to where we need to be. "What was that?" he asks, a little mad.

"It's called a kiss. I would think from your reputation you would know that." I tease him, trying to lighten the mood. My plan to clear his head of Hathaway won't work if he's angry with me. He doesn't say anything else as we walk to the meeting room in silence. At least he dropped it.

We walk in the room and everyone is standing around chatting together. I see Tasha at the front of the table looking over some notes. Since she's the head of this thing, I should play nice and say hello. I take the seat next to hers, dragging Adrian with me. "Hello Tasha. It's nice to see you again."

She looks up to me and smiles. "Emily, welcome to our little committee. I made a copy of the notes from last week since you weren't able to make it. Feel free to ask questions as we go along." She calls everyone to attention and gets things started. I can tell already this is going to be such a long day. They're going over adding offensive magic to the curriculm at the academies, at which I scoff. Everyone looks over to me.

"I'm sorry, but that sounds extraordinarily dangerous. Can you imagine a bunch of crazy teenagers going around attacking each other for any little offense? They do enough damage without using magic. Encourage them to use magic like that and you'll need bigger infirmaries." I tell them.

"Of course, there will be rules that will ensure that they only practice these skills in the classroom under supervision." Tasha tells me.

"Yeah, because teenagers are all about following the rules." I roll my eyes. "I know it's been awhile since you've been in high school, but kids will use this new way to use their magic at any opportunity they find, especially at their enemies." Tasha looks like I just insulted her. Maybe she's a little sensitive about her age.

"Well then, how are Moroi supposed to learn to use their magic in working with the guardians if not in school?" she argues back.

"I think Moroi should wait until they're adults if this is actually going to happen. Personally, I think we should leave it as it is. We need to concentrate on increasing Dhampir numbers before we throw ourselves to the lions." The look on everyone's faces surprises me. Am I the only one who sees the idiocy of this whole offensive magic movement?

"Why are you even here?" someone asks.

"I was asked to represent the very large group of traditionalists that don't want their children thrown into the frontlines when they don't have to be. Dhampirs are genetically suited to fight Strigoi. It's what they're made to do. Using our magic like this is taxing. It's not what we are meant to do. Leave the fighting to the Dhampirs, like it should be." I mean, come on people, it's common sense.

Adrian decides that now would be a good time to speak up. "Emily, a couple years ago when St Vlads was attacked, Christian Ozera and Guardian Hathaway, who was still a novice at the time, were able to take down more Strigoi together then the rest of the guardians combined. A lot more people would've been killed if he didn't use his magic offensively." he argues. Again, he's thinking about her.

"Yes, but I also heard that the wards were broken because students were using their magic in the way you are all proposing. Obviously, using magic like this isn't wise." I counter. They're never going to come up with a good arguement for me to change my mind. Adrian sighs and leans back in his chair in defeat. Finally, he sees the truth to what I'm saying. The rest of the meeting goes about the same. They make suggestions and I bring them back to Earth with reality checks. What would they have done without me? Oh yeah, flushed our world down the toilet.

Finally, the meeting ends just in time for lunch. I need to talk to daddy to see what came of his investigation of last night's events. I turn to Adrian to see if he is coming. "Adrian, I'm having lunch with my father. Would you like to join us?" I mainly just don't want him to go running to her.

"Actually I was going to go check on Rose." he says. Just then, Guardian Belikov walks in, probably to see the mother of his bastard child, Tasha. He hears what Adrian said and stops next to us.

"I took Rose to her apartment just about an hour ago. She is most likely resting right now." he tells Adrian. Adrian has an annoyed look on his face. He doesn't seem to like Belikov very much. I look at the big guardian and see a similar expression. They obviously don't like each other. I wouldn't doubt Hathaway has something to do with this. I look over to him to see if he is going to come with me.

"I'm going to pass on lunch, Emily. I have some work I need to catch up on. I'll see you later." he smiles and starts to walk away, but I pull him back and give him a goodbye kiss. We go our seperate ways and I'm very anxious to hear what daddy has to say. I meet him at the little cafe here at Court after I go pick up Spartacus. He doesn't like to be alone for too long.

"Hey daddy, so when is Guardian Hathaway getting what's coming to her?" I say with as much venom as I can muster, because if you haven't noticed, I don't like her.

"Well sweetheart, after talking to the other guardians that were there, no one saw much of what happened because they were busy fighting with their own Strigoi. And since she did kill the one that attacked you and you made it out alive, there is no case to be made against her. She has a near perfect reputation, aside from a few snide remarks to royals." he says. I can't believe this! She almost has me killed and she's going to get away with it. Now I really need to get rid of her.

"Are you serious? Ugh! All I ever hear is Rose this and Rose that. I am so sick of Rose Hathaway. She's got this whole place wrapped around her finger, especially Adrian. You have to help me daddy. I want her out of the picture before she ruins everything for me." I pound my fist on the table, to make my point.

"Don't worry, pumpkin. I'm already working on it." I don't understand what he means he's already working on it since I just told him she's a problem. He must have seen through her little act already. "I won't bore you with the details, just know that soon, Guardian Hathaway will no longer interfere with you and Ivashkov." He gives me that reassuring smile that lets me know everything will be alright. We finish our lunch and he leaves to tend to business.

I spend the rest of the afternoon walking Spartacus around the park, thinking about how to get Adrian away from her. The best I can think of is to just never leave his side. That way he can't spend any time with her. Out of sight, out of mind. I need to ingratiate myself into his life. Make myself useful. I go to his building when he finishes work and walk him home before he can go looking for Hathaway. I even make him dinner. I took a couple cooking classes with my best friend, Jennifer Zeklos. She's Jesse's brother and he's told us a great deal about our fair guardian. I can't believe Adrian associates with someone of such reputation, not that his is much better. The only thing that saves him is the fact that he's royal and favorite nephew of the Queen.

After dinner I pop in a movie, Titanic, because it's long, and cuddle up with him on the couch. I can get used to this. He is extremely hot and a nice guy. Too nice to certain people, but we'll work on that. I decide to move this relationship on to the next step, so I lean over and start placing little kisses along his neck. I feel him stiffen, but I don't stop. I need to relax him, so I run my hands along his arms and to his chest. I move my lips along his jaw and find his mouth. I kiss him, and I feel him respond. Man, he's a great kisser. Just as we're starting to deepen the kiss, he pulls away and pushes me off him. What the hell?

"Emily, I think you need to go now. I'll walk you back to your place." he says as he gathers up Spartacus. I'm speachless. No guy has ever pushed me away like that. I get up off the couch and stand up to him.

"It's her, isn't it?" I already know the answer, I just want him to admit it. "You're hung up on your guardian. She no good for you, you know? She'll ruin you, but I can help you. Together we can be unstoppable. Think about that. Life full of misery, for the both of you, or a life of happiness. Think about it." I let him walk me home and give him a small kiss, which he allows. If he's smart, he'll make the right choice. Of course, I'll be guiding him all along, unbeknownst to him.

**Okay, now we know more about how Emily sees things. I promise next chapter will have more Rose and Adriain. Anyway, thanks for reading and don't forget to review and let me know what you think.**


	13. Chapter 13

**No matter how hard I wish I wrote Vampire Academy, I didn't. I don't own it either.**

**This was a fun chapter to write. I hope you like it.**

**Rose POV**

It's been a couple weeks since the Strigoi attack at the mall, and I haven't been able to spend any time with Adrian outside our dreams. Emily thinks she's being so clever, always latching herself to him and dragging him everywhere. What she doesn't know, and what we are all keeping from her, is Adrian's ability to dream walk. Every night, Adrian shows up in my dream and we have a wonderful time together in all sorts of locations. I make sure to keep it all very PG. Just because it's a dream, doesn't mean it isn't real, the emotions anyway. I am able to see Adrian every couple days so he can heal me. My trainings have been kicking my butt big time. I actually broke my collar bone a few days ago when Dimitri tackled me. He felt so guilty, I've been invited to eat with Tasha and him every night this week. Emily hates when Adrian heals me, but he ignores her and does it anyway. She's such a bitch, I wish I let the Strigoi drink her dry.

Right now, I'm on my way to the gym for my all day training session. I spar with about every guardian assigned here at Court. They all love having a chance to take me down. Although, I'm getting so much better, it's getting harder and harder for anyone to actually defeat me. My instructor, Roger, has been upping the intensity of my training. I finish my weights and drills for the first half of the day. Now is my favorite part, hand to hand combat. He has the strongest guardians available fighting me. He figures since I have Adrian available to heal me, why not go all the way. Roger must be planning something special because I see Adrian walk in, with Emily in hand.

"Hey Little Dhampir, are you putting on a demonstration for us? Your instructor asked that I attend your training session." I have no idea what's going on, so I shrug and look over to Roger for an explanation.

"Today I'm going to have the other guardians go full force on you, like an actual Strigoi would. It's going to be like actually fighting the real thing, well things. I'm having you fight ten guardians today. You're going to get hurt and I thought having Adrian here, to help you faster, would be better." Oh shit, now I'm scared. I know I'm getting better, but damn. I look over at Adrian and he looks like he's going to throw up. I go up to him and pull him aside to the corner out of everyone's view.

"Adrian, it's going to be alright. If I get hurt too badly, you'll heal me. I know you can do it." I assure him. He puts his hands on my face and puts his forehead to mine.

"I hate seeing you get hurt. Why do you have to go through this? Is it really going to help?" he whispers. I can tell he's very worried about me. I don't really want him to see this, but having him close by is probably a good idea. I know I'm going to get my ass kicked. I put my hands over his and try to calm his fears.

"Adrian, every time I do this, I get better and better. They aren't just trying to hurt me. There trying to help me. If you haven't noticed, it seems the number Strigoi that attack us each time is increasing. Therefore I need to keep improving to keep you safe. That's the most important thing to me." I look into his eyes, begging with my gaze for him to understand why I'm doing this. "I can handle this. Trust me." He let's out a big breath and nods. Then he does something that shocks me. He bends down farther and presses his lips to mine. My head starts swimming as I kiss him back. The kiss is sweet and gentle and absolutely wonderful. I want to just stay here with him, our lips caressing each other. He pulls away and places a final kiss on my forehead. I'm a little worried that someone might see, but it doesn't seem to phase him in the slightest.

"Go kick some ass Little Dhampir." he says as he backs away and goes to sit on a chair. Emily's giving me a look that could kill. She must have seen. I bet he never kisses her like that. I can't help but smirk at her as I walk over to the mat the other gurardians are at. Dimitri doesn't look too happy as he glares at Adrian. Jealous much? I look over to see Emily sit next to Adrian. Behind her I see Lord Conta come into the gym and sit in the seat next to her. Are they selling tickets or something because there are a lot more people than usual in the gym today. Just what I need, a sold out show to my ass kicking. I step into the middle of the circle of my attackers and ready myself. Just as I'm about to be attacked, the doors swing open and Queen Tatianna walks in followed by her army of guardians.

"You've got to be kidding me!" I exclaim. I turn to Roger with a pissed off look. "Did you invite _everyone_ here today?" He doesn't say anything but motions for me to get started. Well, here goes nothing.

I stand in the middle and immediately Dimitri comes rushing at me. I manage to dodge him when another comes from behind and knocks me down hard. I get up quickly though and attack the closest one to me. I manage to get in a good kick and punch to the face before two others take me down. One helps me up and Roger comes over and tells me how to better block that kind of attack. We repeat this over and over again for the next hour. I can feel the bruises forming all over my body already. Adrian is sitting on the edge of his seat, waiting to rush to my side every time I'm knocked on my ass. So far, I'm not hurt bad enough for his assistance. We take a small water break and I walk over to see how Adrian's holding up.

"You're doing very well Little Dhampir. I loved it when you killed Dimitri." he says with an evil grin. He still isn't too fond of him, and I doubt he ever will be. I roll my eyes and shake my head.

"You sure end up getting killed a lot Guardian Hathaway. I thought you were supposed to be the best." Emily speaks up. I know she's just trying to provoke me, but I won't give her the satisfaction of getting mad.

"Well, if you think you could do any better, be my guest." I say as I motion toward the mat. She glares at me and I see Lord Conta pat his daughter's hand to calm her down. I look at him and he's leering at me, like he always does when he's near me. I sure wish he would obsess over someone else now. He gives me the creeps.

"I admire your form Guardian Hathaway." he says with that grin that makes me want to punch him in the face. Too bad the queen's here or I might try to get away with it.

"How much longer is this going to go on?" Emily whines to Adrian.

"_I _have about three more hours to go. _You_ can leave at any time." I reply for him. No one asked her to be here. I see Adrian trying not to laugh as he looks away from her. He's probably hoping she'll do exactly that.

I go back to the mat, only to see that a couple of the guardians I was working with have left to go on duty and new faces are staring me down, one being Guardian Conner. Roger is talking to the newcomers, giving them instruction on how to better take me down. Then he comes over to me with a piece of black cloth in his hand. "For the next hour, I want you to work on your other senses other than sight. Try to listen and feel the others around you. They won't go full force in the beginning. We'll work our way up to that." He turns me around so my back is to him as he ties the blindfold on.

"I hope this isn't from your S&M collection." I tease him.

"That is between me and my wife. Now, first we'll start with one attacker. Reach out with your senses and try to feel where he is." I do as he says and listen intently on any movement around me. I hear footsteps to my right getting closer, so I lash out with my fist and make contact. That is so cool. I try again, but this time my attacker was smarter and blocks me fairly easily and knocks my legs out from under me. I get up quickly and try again. This time I can smell a familiar scent getting closer, Dimitri's aftershave. When I think he's right on top of me, I spin and kick him in the gut. I didn't let him recover as I elbow and punch as hard as I can where I feel he is. I even manage to take him down to the floor and stake him. I hear Adrian cheering loudly for me as I help Dimitri up and take the cloth off my eyes. I look over and see Adrian jumping out of his seat, cheering. I give him a thumbs up and a wink as I laugh at him. He can be such a goober sometimes.

More and more guardians are added to attack me with the blindfold on. It's getting easier to fight without my sight the more I do it. Roger says I rely on my eyes too much, which can be deceiving. I need to incorporate all my senses when fighting. We're down to the final test of my lessons today. All ten guardians are going to attack me at the same time at full force, without the blindfold. I stand in the middle and take a few deep breaths to calm myself down. I peek over to Adrian and see him wringing his hands nervously. Roger asks if I'm ready and I nod, hoping I am. And without hesitation, the attack begins. I'm surprising myself with how well I'm doing. Within the first minute, I already have two staked. I keep reminding myself to calm down and stay centered as I find my targets. There goes number three down. As I'm kicking one of my attackers, he catches my foot and when I twist to free it, I hear a pop and feel a lot of pain. Crap, I think I broke my ankle. I know I can't stop though because in real life, I'd be dead if I did. I keep fighting, grinding my teeth in response to the pain. I manage to free my foot and stake number four.

I know that kicking is out, so I need to rely on my fists and elbows to do some damage. I'm able to get another four down, but I'm getting exhausted. I can hear Adrian cheering me on and that helps me focus, knowing that I'm doing this to keep him alive. Of course, the two guardians left to beat are Dimitri and Conner. I have one behind me and one in front, circling me. I hobble in a circle and close my eyes, waiting for one or both to come at me. I can feel them coming at me at the same time, so I wait until the last possible second and duck down and take out the legs of the one in front of me. He falls over the other and I jump on him and stake him through the back before he has a chance to get up. That was Conner. I shove his body off Dimitri and try to quickly stake him, but he's too fast and rolls out of the way. Damn! He pushes me sideways and I loose my balance and fall to the floor. He's on me in the blink of an eye, crushing me with his weight. He goes in for the kill , but before his mouth reaches my neck, I get my arm free and elbow him hard to the face. It's hard enough to cause him to falter so I can push him up off me enough to stake him through the heart. I did it! I killed all ten of my attackers. The entire room erupts in cheers and shouts. Everyone loves to root for the underdog.

Both Dimitri and I are so exhausted, we can't get up. He's half laying on top of me trying to catch his breath. "Get off. You're too heavy for little ole me." I say as I try to push him off. He rolls over and turns his head to face me. The look on his face is pure pride.

"That was remarkable Roza. I always knew you'd be the best. I'm just glad I got to be a part of it." he says between breaths.

"Thanks comrade." is all I can manage to get out. Suddenly, Adrian is at my side, healing me before I can object. After he's done he helps me up and pulls me into a bone crushing hug.

"Oh my god Rose, that was the most amazing and terrifying thing I've ever seen in my life." he says in my ear. I hug him back and all the emotions that I kept at bay during the fight come flooding out in the form of tears. I start crying into his shoulder shamelessly. I did it. I was able to keep him alive if this was real. I'm so happy and scared and tired and frustrated and angry all at the same time, it's overwhelming. He doesn't let me go, but holds me tight in the middle of the mat with everyone watching. He rubs circles on my back as he whispers how proud he is of me, tyring to calm me down. It's a bit embarrassing. I just proved that I really am badass, but here I am crying like a baby. After several minutes, I calm down and pull away so I can wipe away my tears. I bet I look awful. All the guardians I fought come up and congratulate me on my victory. Conner actually picks me up and spins me around in his arms.

"Alright Hathaway. I always knew you were badass." he exclaims proudly. He finally puts me down next to Adrian before I get too dizzy , who isn't too pleased with Conner's display. As we walk to where my waterbottle is on the side, the Queen walks over to me.

"Guardian Hathaway, I'm pleased to see all the extra training is paying off. I feel most assured that Adrian is in the best of hands." she says. When Adrian isn't looking, she gives me a wink and a smile. We're due for another lunch date soon. Hopefully she has good news on Stephan's location.

"You're right Aunt Tatianna. I'm a lucky man to have the best at my side." he grins. He puts one arm around my shoulder and gives me a squeeze. Just then, Emily comes over and stands on the other side of Adrian and takes his hand.

"Adrian, aren't you going to introduce me, sweetheart?" she asks trying to get in good with the queen. I'm sure Tatianna's pleased that Adrian seems to be dating a royal. She wouldn't be too happy if she actually knew her. I'll have to enlighten her next time we speak in private.

"Of course. Aunt, this is Emily Conta." He doesn't elaborate on their relationship, which pleases me. Emily curtsies and I fight to keep my laughter dormant.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, your highness." she gushes. She going so overboard on the ass kissing, I think I'm going to be sick. I've had enough of this, so I excuse myself and head to the showers. Before I get to the door, Adrian grabs my arm to stop me.

"What are your plans now?" he asks.

"Umm, Tasha invited me for dinner. She plans on showing me how to make meatloaf. I just hope it's still edible when I'm done." I laugh. Cooking is not one of my stronger traits.

"Well, I would like to see you after dinner. Can I come over to your place?" I don't know why he bothers to ask. He knows he has an open invitation.

"Of course, but I'm sure Tasha won't mind if you come to dinner. If you don't bring a certain annoying Moroi along, that is." We all know who I'm talking about.

"I'll try to escape, but don't wait for me in case I can't get away. I'll see you tonight regardless." I can tell he thinking about stealing a kiss, but I think we've done enough PDA for one day. I pat his shoulder and back away saying good bye.

After I'm showered and dressed, I walk out of the locker room to go to Tasha and Dimitri's when I see Lord Conta waiting for me. Maybe if I ignore him, he'll get the hint and leave me alone. I try to walk passed him without looking at him, but it doesn't work.

"You are truly amazing, Rosemarie." That stopped me. No one calls me by my full name except my mother.

"What do you want, Conta?" I'm in no mood for his games. I just want to go eat with my friends and relax, not get sexually harassed.

"You." is his simple answer. God, what is with these royal Moroi who think they can have whatever they want? At least Adrian isn't like this.

"Well, you can't have me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be." I start to walk again, but he grabs my arm and pulls me up against him.

"Don't be foolish, Rose. I always get what I want, always. So don't make this harder than it has to be. You will be mine, as my guardian or my bloodwhore. Maybe both." He leant down closer to whisper in my ear. "Unless you want those close to you harmed, I would seriously consider giving me what I want." Chills run down my spine when I feel his lips lightly brush against my earlobe. I feel my hands ball into tight fists and I pull my arm back to give this creep my answer, Rose Hathaway style, when someone grabs my arm. I look back to see an angry Dimitri holding me back. Lord Conta straightens up and takes a step back. "Think about what I said Guardian Hathaway. Oh, and congratulations on your victory today. You're truly one of a kind." he smirks and bows his head to Dimitri before slithering away. I let out a breath as turn to face Dimitri.

"Why didn't you let me hit him?" My temper still flaring. He's still glaring at the door Conta just left from. He slowly lowers his gaze to me, confusion showing at my question.

"You could get into a lot of trouble if you hurt him. What did he say to you?" He is still gripping my arm while waiting for my reply.

"You can let go of me now, he's gone." He releases his grip and I continue. "You know, the usual. If I don't submit to being his bloodwhore he's going to harm those close to me. Man, I wish he would just leave me alone already." I sigh in frustration. It's one thing to threaten me, but don't mess with the ones I love, because it won't end well for you.

"How long has this been going on?" he questions.

"Since the day he brought Emily here and his hand introduced itself to my ass." I see the fury light up his eyes and I know I better get him calmed down before he does something stupid.

"Hey comrade, I'm starving. How bought we go eat." I put my arm through his and lead him out the door and to his apartment. He seems to be calming down the closer we get. "Can you do me a favor and keep this whole Lord Conta mess to yourself? I don't want to worry anybody." He stops us before we enter and looks down at me with concern.

"What are you going to do?" I shrug because, honestly, I have no idea. Apparently he doesn't have any ideas either because he opens the door without another word. Tasha comes waddling over and gives me a hug.

"I saw what you did today. I'm so proud of you Rose." she gushes. I didn't even know she was there.

"Thanks. How's the little Belikov doing in there?" I ask as I rub her big belly. She laughs and starts rubbing it herself.

"She's fine." At first what she said doesn't register. Then it hit me, they're having a girl.

"Wow, a girl. That's great." I lean in to talk to the baby in her tummy. "Hey little Roza. It's your Aunty Rose. I can't wait to meet you." I baby talk. They both just roll their eyes and laugh. Eventually I'll ware them down and get them to name her after me. Tasha takes my arm and leads me into the kitchen for my first cooking lesson. Ugh, I hope I don't poison everyone.

**This seems like a good place to stop before it gets too long. Isn't Adrian just the best? I love writing him, and badass Rose. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review and let me know what you think.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Vampire Academy? No I don't. Own it, that is.**

**Tasha POV**

I lead Rose into the kitchen and hand her an apron that says 'Never piss off the cook'. It was a gag gift from Christian one birthday. She puts it on as I open the fridge and start pulling out the ingrediants. I know we have more guests coming for dinner, so I bought a lot of meat. "Tasha, either you plan on eating off this meal for the next week, or you think I'm a pig." Rose gestures toward the hamburger. I just laugh and shake my head.

"No, no. I would never think that of you. Christian, Lissa and Eddie are coming over for dinner too." Her face lights up at this news. She probably hasn't seen much of them since school started a few weeks ago. They are on a strange schedule since they're attending a human college and have some classes during the day and some at night. Plus, when not in school, they have homework to do. I can't wait to tell them about the last doctor visit and that the baby is a girl. Lissa will be so excited.

I grab a big bowl and pull Rose over to show her what to do. After we wash our hands, she puts the meat and egg and bread cubes in the bowl with the spices. "Okay Rose, start mixing everything together." She looks at me puzzled and then scans the kitchen in search of something.

"Are you going to give me a spoon or something?" Oh Rose, that would be no fun.

"No. The best way to combine the ingrediants is with your hands." She looks at me like I lost my mind, then disgust at the thought of touching what's in the bowl. She looks into the bowl and pokes a finger at the meat.

"This is so gross." she says backing away.

Just then Dimitri walks in and looks at Rose and then to me.

"What's wrong with her?" he asks. He must be wondering about the disgusted look on her face.

"She doesn't want to touch the meat." I answer with a small laugh. Dimitri rolls his eyes at her.

"Rose, it's already dead. It can't hurt you." he smirks as she glares at him. Just as I am about to say something, Christian, Lissa and Eddie let themselves in. I inform them about Rose's dilemma and Christian comes strolling up next to her and looks into the bowl and back to Rose.

"Rose, If you're waiting for it to mix itself, we're going to be here awhile." he laughs. Rose stomps on his foot and looks over to Lissa for help. She stands next to Rose and looks at the meatloaf to be.

"Come on, Rose. I know you can do it." Lissa encourages.

"Why don't you show me how it's done, Lissa." Rose moves aside to give her space. Lissa backs away, in horror.

"Oh God, no. That's gross." She says, nose scrunched up. I guess Dimitri got tired of waiting because suddenly he's behind Rose, grabbing her hands and plunging them into the meat mixture. He helps her sqeeze and squish everything together. I have to admit being a little jealous at how close he is to her. I know a part of him still loves her, always will. But I also know Rose is in love with Adrian and only wants to be friends with Dimitri. I'm hoping that given enough time, his feelings for me will grow to match the intensity of mine.

"Is this really that bad Rose?" he asks her while we all laugh at how she looks like she's going to throw up. When it looks about ready, I tell her to dump the meat in a pan and put it in the oven. Now we wait. Lissa makes the mashed potatos while Rose spends the next five minutes trying to get the gunk off her hands.

Once the meatloaf is done, Rose helps me plate the food and bring it to the table. It's quite amusing watching everyone hesitate to take a bite. Each person waiting for some other brave soul to take the first bite. Rose sighs and looks to Dimitri with pleading eyes. He reluctantly picks up his fork and is about to take a bite when we hear banging on the front door. Of course everyone wants to be the one to answer it as we all get up and race for the door. "Hurry, let me in." whoever on the other side yells. It sounds like Adrian. He better not have Emily with him or he isn't coming in. We all stop in our tracks, hoping he thinks no one is home, until Rose passes by us to open the door.

"No don't! Emily might be with him." Christian whispers loudly at Rose. She rolls her eyes and opens the door. Adrian comes flying in and slams the door shut behind him. He leans against it and looks at all of us staring at him in confusion.

"Don't worry, she's not with me." he says a bit out of breath. I see his gaze fall on Rose and his face lights up in love. "Hey Little Dhampir, how did your dinner go? I see everyone is still alive, that's a good sign." He walks up to her and puts his arm around her shoulder and walks with her back to the dining room to finish eating.

"Would you like a plate, Adrian?" I ask.

"No thank you. I ate with Emily." Rose looks up to him with her puppy dog eyes. He sighs and turns to back to me. "But there is always room for Rose's meatloaf. Stay seated cousin, I'll get it myself." he says as he heads to the kitchen to fix himself a plate. He really will do anything for her. He gets back and takes the empty seat next to Rose. All eyes are on him as we wait for him to taste her cooking. He looks at Rose and sees her looking to him expectantly. He takes his fork and picks up a piece of food and takes a bite. He seems to be enjoying it as he takes another bite. The look on Rose's face makes me smile. "This is delicious, babe." he tells her and kisses her cheek. God, they're so cute together.

"No offense, man, but you're a little biased. I'll wait a minute to see if you keel over before I eat." Christian says while crossing his arms over his chest. Adrian shrugs and happily takes another bite. I see Rose take a bite and smiles. Convinced that she must have done alright, we all start to eat. I don't know why I was so worried, I was with her the whole time.

"Adrian, did you go to the feeders after you healed me today?" Rose asks full of concern. He nods his head and gives he a small smile. "Do you need a drink?" He shakes his head this time.

"No, you're all I need." he winks at her and I see the slightest of blush appear on her cheeks.

"So, how come you're not with your girlfriend?" Eddie asks what we are all wondering. Those two are always joined at the hip. It's really disgusting.

"Ditched her. I don't know if you all realized this, but she can be an annoying bitch." he states as the room errupts in laughter.

"We figured that out the first day. We just didn't think you saw it." Christian says. "How'd you ditch her?"

"Let's just say Spartacus 'accidently'" he uses air quotes "got loose. I'm supposed to be out searching for him now." he says as he takes another bite.

"Why are you even with her? She's not a very nice person." Lissa asks totally serious. Adrian looks over to Rose, who nods at him to encourage him to answer.

"They're our friends. We should tell them the truth." She says. Okay, now I'm confused. I look around the table and see that I'm not the only one.

"Lord Conta and I made a deal. If I date Emily and help her climb the social ladder he would leave Rose alone. He's interested in her in inappropriate ways." I can see the anger in his eyes as he confesses his actions to us. The last part I find shocking. Poor Rose. I wonder if he's tried anything.

"Well, your arrangement isn't working very well." Dimitri pipes up. Rose glares at him while Adrian looks surprised.

"What are you talking about?" He directs to Dimtiri. Then he turns to Rose. "Did Conta do or say something to you?" His voice is rising and he looks like he's about to run out the door and kick some Conta butt.

"Today after training, he grabbed me and threatened to harm you guys if I didn't submit to being his bloodwhore." she tells with anger in her eyes. "I would've beat the crap out of him if _someone_ didn't stop me." She says this last part while glaring at Dimitri. I look over to him to hopefully get more clarification on what she's talking about.

"He's a royal Moroi, Rose. You just can't go around punching them, no matter if they deserve it or not." He must have stopped her, thank goodness.

"Well, it seems Lord Conta isn't holding up his end of the bargain. There's no reason to date her now." I tell him. "But, we still have the problem of what to do about his advances toward Rose."

"Can't you write up a formal complaint against him?" Lissa asks.

"Not really. There aren't any witnesses. Dimitri didn't hear what he said to me and neither did Guardian Conner the day he arrived. It's my word against his and who do you think they'll believe?" Rose says a little defeated.

"What did he say to you when he came here?" Dimitri asks getting pissed. He's so protective of her.

"We didn't have a room assigned to him and he asked if I could find him a place to 'sleep'. Then he grabbed my ass. I left before I hurt him and had Conner handle him. Then he gave Conner his business card to give to me with a job offer for a sexy guardian and his personal cell number. I was hoping he'd lose interest, but clearly he finds me a challenge since he knows I'll never do anything with him willingly." The tension in the room is sufficating. No one says anything for a time until Lissa speaks up.

"The nerve of some people. He needs to pay." Lissa can be pretty scary when she's angry. Everyone nods their head in agreement.

"Emily too. I don't like the way she treated you all. I appologize for bringing her into our lives like that." Adrian looks so guilt ridden. I see him holding Rose's hand under the table. We all stay quiet, thinking of ways to get them back. "I have an idea." Adrian is the first to speak. "Next week is Emily's birthday and her mother is coming in. We could all take her to dinner with her parents and I can break up with her. Humiliate her." That's not too bad.

"What reason are you giving to leave her?" I ask.

"Maybe we can get her to cheat on you and get pictures. You find out and dump her." Lissa suggests. "Ooh, and with a guardian too. The way she always talks about Dhampirs makes me sick. If we could get evidence with her and a guardian in a compromising position, she'll look like a hypocrite and be shamed among her friends." That sounds great, but what guardian would be willing to do this? Every eye in the room goes right to poor Eddie.

"No way. Don't look at me like that. Besides, I'm too busy guarding Lissa to have time to seduce her, like I could." Eddie says. Automatically, everyone looks at Dimitri, but he shakes his head.

"She would know something was up if I suddenly showed interest in her, especially being in a committed relationship with a baby on the way." I let out a breath. I didn't like the idea of him kissing her. Who else would help us out like this?

"I might know someone who might do me a big favor like this." Rose says. Adrian narrows his eyes at her. He must know who she's talking about and doesn't like it. I'm about to bust in curiousity.

"Well, are you going to tell us?" I ask.

"Guardian Conner is a good friend of mine. He might do it if he knew the reasons why." She says. Ah, yes. I think Guardian Conner has a little crush on our Rose, by the way I've seen him look at her. That might work. "But I don't think Emily will just make out with a guardian without an ulterior motive. Maybe if she thinks Conner and I are dating, she'll do it just to get back at me." Adrian doesn't say anything, but I can tell he hates this idea, but isn't offering any alternatives.

"I'll talk to him tomorrow. Now what are we going to do about Lord Conta?" Rose asks. That ones a little trickier. Then Rose gets an evil grin on her face. "How about I beat the crap out of him and Adrian and Lissa can heal him afterward so he doesn't have any evidence of the attack." she says full of hope.

"Rose, honey, I think that will just anger him. We need a more permanent solution." I tell her. I'm sure that'll make everyone feel better, but it doesn't solve the problem.

"You said his wife is coming to town, so maybe we do kinda the same thing we're doing to Emily, but have his wife walk in on him and Rose." Eddie suggests. I don't think he realized exactly what he said because of the shocked look on his face when the rest of the table gasps and Rose practically jumps out of her seat to tackle him. Adrian is holding on to her waist, keeping her off the table.

"Eddie, if you're suggesting I have sex with him just so his wife can catch us, you better start running now, because I'm going to kill you." she screams. Eddie looks ghostly pale as he tries to speak to explain himself.

"No, no. I mean maybe she catches him just making a pass at you, in public. You don't have to do anything." Rose settles back down and takes her seat.

"I think we've done enough planning for one night. Let's move on to more pleasant subjects, shall we." Adrian ends this topic.

"The meatloaf was really good Rose. I knew you could do it." Lissa succesfully changes the subject.

"Of course if it wasn't for Dimitri, we'd be eating steak tar tar." Laughs Christian. Adrian looks puzzled. "She didn't want to touch the raw meat. Dimitri forced her hands in the mixture and made her mix it." Adrian laughs at the thought. Rose doesn't seem to like his reaction.

"That doesn't surprise me actually since she can't even kill a spider. She gets all squeemish." Adrian rats her out, laughing. "This one time, she came running out of the bathroom yelling 'Squish it, squish it, squish it!'. She ran behind me and pushed me in to kill the spider." She elbows his ribs and glares at him.

"Adrian, tell it right. We had just finished watching Arachniphobia and I swear the spider was as big as my fist." She shudders, recalling the memory. I don't really blame her, I hate spiders. We all get up from the table and the guys go to the kitchen and clean up while Rose, Lissa and I go to the living room. Lissa and I immediately corner Rose with questions about her and Adrian.

"So, are you an Adrian a secret couple or something? I saw you two holding hands at dinner and the way he held you after your training match yesterday. What's going on?" I ask first.

"No, we're just friends." Both Lissa and I roll our eyes at that. "You know we can't be together because I'm his guardian. I have to put his safety first and a romantic relationship will be too distracting." she defends herself, and badly I might add.

"So, Dimitri is my guardian and we don't have a problem."

"It's different. You can help Dimitri in a fight with your fire magic. No offense Lissa, but Spirit isn't a big help in warding off Strigoi. Besides, female Moroi don't have the same stigma for loving and leaving Dhampirs and using them as bloodwhores. There's a lot more scandal with Adrian and I."

"But you are in love with him, right?" Lissa asks.

"It doesn't matter. It's not going to happen." Rose is so stubborn. Someone needs to make her see truth. I go find Dimitri and pull him into our bedroom to talk.

"Dimitri, you need to talk to Rose and tell her she's being ridiculous about not being able to have a relationship with Adrian just because she's his guardian. It works for us, it can work for them too." he doesn't say anything, just looks at me.

"I don't think I can say that. It is different for them. Royal Moroi men aren't known for long term relationships with Dhampirs and I won't push her into something that will hurt her in the long run." He did not just say that.

"Are you serious? Have you not seen the way he looks at her? The way he'd do anything for her? He loves her, Dimka. And she loves him too, although she's too stubborn to admit it." I take a deep breath to say what needs to be said, no matter how much it hurts the both of us. "She isn't coming back to you. She loves Adrian. You broke her heart and he put it back together for her. You need to realize this and move on. You lost your chance to be with her, but you can still help her be happy. Help her realize that she's strong enough to love him and protect him. Even though she covers it up well, she's miserable not being with him. Help her Dimitri." I can see the hurt in his eyes, and the guilt he feels that I know what is in his heart. He nods and walks out the door. I watch as he and Rose go out to the balcony alone to have a chat. I just hope he can convince her to put her happiness first.

**It looks like Emily is going to be in for a surprise. I just hope it works out the way they plan. I wonder if Dimitri will be able to convince Rose to try to make a relationship with Adrian work. I guess we'll have to wait for next chapter. Thanks for reading and please review and let me know what you think.**


	15. Chapter 15

**From the reviews I've been receiving (thanks for that by the way, love them) I think you'll really like this chapter. Enjoy.**

**Iway on'tday ownway ampireVay Academyway.**

**Rose POV**

Lissa and I are sitting on the couch catching up on the last three weeks of our lives. Lissa is loving school but admits it's hectic. I tell her about how I took down ten guardians at practice today and she squeels in excitement. I feel someone tap my shoulder and I look back to see Dimitri standing there. "Rose, can I have a word with you?" I nod and wait for him to start talking. "In private." I get up and follow him to the balcony. He shuts the glass door behind us and gestures for me to sit in the plastic patio chair across from him. I wonder what in the world he wants to talk to me about.

"What's up comrade?" He isn't saying anything, just sitting in his chair with his elbows on his knees, hands together in front of him. He's looking at me, trying to figure out how to say whatever is on his mind.

"Is there anything I can ever do or say to get you back?" Not this again. I thought I made that clear when he first came back.

"No, there isn't." I state simply. He drops his head for a minute and nods his head slightly.

"Are you in love with Adrian?" he asks still looking down. What is with people tonight? Everyone is questioning my feelings for Adrian all of a sudden.

"I'm his guardian. My personal feelings don't matter, remember?" He taught me that. He looks up, annoyed at my answer.

"Just answer the question, Rose. Are you in love with him?" I don't know where this is going, but if I want to find out, maybe I should just go with the flow. I look around to see if anyone else can hear our conversation before answering him.

"Yes, but like I said, it doesn't matter since I can't let it interfere with my duties." I'm getting real tired of always explaining myself.

"How is being in love going to interfere with guarding him? You're already in love with him, how is letting him know and being together going to change anything?" When did he become a shrink? He sure is full of questions.

"You see how we are around each other now, just think how we'd be if we were actually a couple. It's too distracting. I won't risk his life like that." I would think he of all people would understand where I'm coming from.

"You have your warning system to alert you to Strigoi. Plus, you two can make a compromise that when you are outside the wards, you are his guardian, not his girlfriend. You're the best guardian out there, Rose. You proved that today. I think you're just scared to be hurt again and you're using being his guardian as an excuse to keep your distance from him." He takes a deep breath and continues. "I know it's my fault that you're keeping these walls up around your heart, and for that I'm truely sorry. But, even though I hate to admit it, Adrian really does love you. I think he can make you happy, if you just let him." He's the last person I would expect to encourage me to have a relationship with a Moroi, especially a royal one.

"Wow. That's a lot to take in. You think I'm scared to give him my heart because I'm afraid he'll break it like you did." I say out loud, not necessarily to him. I see him flinch at my words and look away, staring out into the scenery.

"Start out slow. Only be a couple when you're alone or with your friends. You don't have to let the rest of the world know yet. Try it out." I can tell this is hard for him to say to me. Tasha must have coaxed him into it.

"Why are you telling me all this? You don't even like Adrian." He turns toward me and looks me right in the eyes.

"I want you to be happy. If he makes you happy, then so be it. But if he ever hurts you, I won't hesitate to do some serious damage to his body." he says seriously. I believe him.

"Well, you've certainly given me a lot to think about." We sit there quietly for a while as I go through everything in my head about a thousand times. Can I really do this? Can I keep myself focused when I'm being his guardian knowing that when we're back in the safety of the wards I can let my guard down? I'll have to talk to Adrian about this. Finally after some time, I get up and go give him a hug. "Thanks, Dimitri." He stands up too and holds me tight. We break apart and he goes back into the apartment. I stay on the balcony looking into the night sky wondering if I'm about to make the biggest mistake of my life. I'm not alone for long, though. I hear someone step out and the door close behind him. It's Adrian, I can smell his cologne. He wraps his arms around my waist and rests his chin on my shoulder.

"So what were you and Belikov talking about?" I can sense a little jealousy in his tone.

"Us." He pauses for a moment.

"Us as in you and him, or us as in you and me?" he asks confused by my brief answer.

"You and me. He was wondering why I keep pushing you away when it's so obvious to everyone that I'm in love with you. Every time I gave him a reason, he found a way to shut it down." I can feel Adrian smile next to me.

"So, what did he suggest?" he sounds excited that maybe we found an answer to our dilemma.

"He said we need to start slow and put some rules in place, like when outside the wards, I'm not your girlfriend, but your guardian. We need to keep our relationship descreet and only be together when alone or with them. What do you think?" I wonder if he'll object to any of this.

"I think Dimitri just became my best friend, after you of course." he laughs. I laugh too. He turns me around so that now we are facing each other. "So, does this mean that you're willing to take a chance with me and be in a serious relationship?" he asks with so much hope in his voice. A big grin breaks out on my face as I realize that I would very much like to be with Adrian.

"Yes, Adrian, I would love to be your girlfriend." I tell him. I know, cheesy right? I can't help it though, I'm just so freakin' happy right now.

"I love you, Rose Hathaway." he says as he pulls me closer to him.

"I love you, Adrian Ivashkov." I didn't' think his smile could get any bigger, but I was proven wrong by the look on his face right now. He leans in and crashes his lips to mine, like he couldn't wait a second longer to kiss me. This kiss is full of hunger and need that has been bottled up since the day we met. We reluctantly pull away, just enough to look into each other's eyes.

"Do you realize that's the first time you told me you loved me?" he says.

"No, it's just the first time that you heard me." I correct. He gives me a puzzled look. "When I would tuck you in bed after one of your binges, I would whisper I love you in your ear." He pulls me into another kiss, just as sweet and intense as the first one we ever shared. We're out on the balcony for a while in our own little world when I hear Lissa screaming in excitement and clapping her hands. I pull away from his warm lips to look over to see her and Tasha jumping up and down in excitement. Adrian looks back and laughs.

"It looks like I'm not the only one happy to finally see us together." he pulls me back inside and Lissa immediately tackles me into a bear hug.

"I'm so excited for you Rose." she squeels. I push her away and chuckle at her reaction.

"Lissa, we just agreed to date, we're not getting married." I remind her.

"Yet." Adrian adds. I just roll my eyes at his optimism. Adrian pulls me into another hug and kisses me in front of everyone. I hear a groan from behind me.

"Seriously, you two are going to make me sick. Do us all a favor and keep that" he motions to us "at home. No one needs to see that." Christian complains.

"Ah, I think it's cute. I'm sure you and Lissa were just like this when you first started dating, so leave them be." Tasha tells him.

"Well, I hate to end this night short, but Rose and I have a lot to talk about if we're going to make this work." He gives Tasha and Lissa kisses goodbye and shakes with the guys, except Dimitri. When Dimitri extends his hand to Adrian, he takes it and pulls him into a big hug. "I owe you big time, man." he tells him. Dimitri pushes him away and looks at him with a very stern look.

"I didn't do anything for you. I did it for her. Her happiness is important to me, so if you hurt her, you will have me to deal with." Dimitri can be really scary when he wants to be.

"You don't have anything to worry about. I learned from your mistake." Adrian says back. A bit of a low blow, but true. Dimitri just glares as Adrian so I decide to defuse the awkward situation we're all in by pulling Dimitri into hug.

"Thank you Dimitri." I whisper in his ear. "I know this isn't easy for you, but I'm really glad you came back into my life." I feel him tighten his hold on me before he releases me. I go around the room and hug everyone goodnight. When I get to Tasha I whisper to her. "I have a feeling you were behind his little talk with me. Thanks." We pull away and she smiles sweetly to me.

"We all just want to see you happy." she says.

Adrian walks over and takes my hand and leads me out the door and back to my room. As soon as I unlock the door, he tackles me and starts kissing me, hard. We tumble backward on the couch, not breaking contact. This feeling that I can't get enough of him consumes me. I've been denying myself of his touch and taste for so long, it's like finding a trickle of water after days of thirst. I try to get as much of him as I can, and the way he's responding, he must feel the same way. These kisses aren't about love and caring for one another. No. This is pure animalistic need and hunger. My hands seem to moving on their own accord, pushing his shirt up and over his head and throwing it on the floor. His lips move away from mine and trail down my jaw to my neck as his hands grip my waist, pulling me closer. The feel of his mouth on my sensitive skin causes a moan to escape my lips. He pulls away slightly to look into my eyes.

"You like that?" he asks in a husky, sexy voice that gets my heart racing even more than it is. I can't seem to find any words at the moment, so I just nod my head. Before I know what's happening, my shirt is off and joining his on the floor. My hands move along his chest and shoulders and into his hair. I pull him back down to meet his lips to mine. I never want this feeling of pure bliss and happiness to end. I feel protected and loved in his strong arms. I slow down and deepen the kiss, caressing his tongue with my own. I feel him grip my hair in his hands as he moans. I smile against his lips, thrilled I can get such a reaction from him.

"You like that?" I repeat his words. He doesn't answer, but silences me with his mouth on mine. Our lips move together in perfect synch, caressing each other. His hands gently run along my stomach and over my bra. My skin tingles at his touch and my back arches in response, wanting more. We continue like this for a good portion of the evening, never going farther. We slow down and Adrian moves us so that I am now laying beside him, my head resting on his chest. While he plays with my hair, I trace random patterns on his stomach. I feel his body tremble as I find a particularly ticklish spot. Of course, I make sure to keep hitting that spot, making him laugh. I love hearing his laugh.

"So, what was it that Dimitri said that made you change your mind?" he asks out of the blue.

"Well, basically he told me I was afraid of getting hurt again and used being your guardian as an excuse to keep you at a distance. He said that as long as I can keep my guardian and girlfriend roles seperate, there's no reason we couldn't work. He thinks I'm strong enough to do both." I tell him. Adrian kisses the top of my head and rubs my arm.

"I know you are. Your dedication to protecting others is part of why I fell in love with you."

"Why else did you fall in love with me?"

"Because you're hot." he chuckles. I lift my head to look at his face and glare. "And because you have the biggest heart of anyone I know, although you try not to advertise it. You stick up for the little guy and want to rid the world of injustice. But mainly, I fell in love with you because of the wonderful feeling that consumes me whenever you're near." That is the most romantic thing anyone's ever said to me. How did I get so lucky? I stretch up and plant a kiss on his lips, and then more in a trail down to his tickle spot right below his ribs, where I linger. "Rose...please...stop." he begs between fits of laughter. Do I stop? No. This causes an all out tickle war. We end up falling off the couch and rolling on the floor, laughing our heads off. He pins me to the floor and brings his lips to mine, ending the battle. All too soon, he pulls away and stands up, pulling me up with him. He sits on the couch and pulls me onto his lap, wrapping his arms around me.

"I can't keep pretending to date Emily now that I have you. I want to end it right away." he says as he kisses my neck.

"That sounds good to me, I'm just worried about what Lord Conta will do if you break up with his daughter." The guy doesn't seem to be the type to give up so easily.

"He won't have a chance to do anything considering I don't plan on letting you out of my sight." Adrian says like it's going to be that easy.

"Oh, do you plan on quiting your job to follow me around all day?" I ask trying to bring him back to reality.

"No, but I figure you're with other guardians when you're on duty and when training, so I just need to be with you during your off times. I plan on doing that anyway, Conta or not." That's pretty much how our lives were before Emily showed up anyway.

"What reason are you going to give her? Are you going to tell her about me? Cause I think she might go unhinged if she finds out you're leaving her for your guardian. She'll probably start trouble." He stops kissing on my neck, which I was really enjoying, and pauses to think.

"You're right. If she knew the real reason, she'll be a vindictive bitch. I guess going with the plan to frame her is best." he sighs and drops his head on my shoulder. "This next week is going to be hell." Poor guy.

"Don't worry, I'll make it up to you." He looks up to me doing that cool one eyebrow thing everyone else in the world can do but me. I move my legs so that I am now straddling him and push him against the back of the couch. I lean closer to him and let my lips linger just above his and whisper. "I'll make you a meatloaf."

**So, are you excited? They're together! Yay!! Thanks for reading and don't forget to review and let me know what you think.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. Enjoy the chapter.**

**Own it not, Vampire Academy.**

**Rose POV**

I slowly open my eyes to see a heavenly sight, Adrian sleeping next to me with his arms tightly locked around my waist. My heart beats loudly as I remember the events of the previous night. I finally stopped being afraid of heartache and took a chance at happiness, I told Adrian I love him. And know he's mine, all mine. I lay in his arms and just stare at him, taking in how he looks so peaceful and perfect, how his scent draws me closer to him, how the little moans and wimpers he lets out in his sleep make me smile wondering what he's dreaming about, how the feel of his skin against mine sends a fire throughout my body and how his breath on my face causes my mouth to water needing to taste his sweet lips. Oh man, when did I turn into _this_ girl. I guess Adrian just brings out the sap in me. But his lips do look very inviting. He needs to get up anyway and I'm sure he won't mind my method of waking him up.

I lean in carefully and gently brush my lips to his. I don't move, just let our lips lightly touch. I then place small kisses all around is mouth. I sense him begin to stir, but not wake. I glide my tongue over his bottom lip, which causes his to part. I kiss his mouth, using my tongue to caress his top lip, making him moan. Finally, he responds and starts to kiss me back. I'm not sure he's awake yet, his eyes are still closed. Our mouths move together perfectly and I feel his tongue break my invisible barrier and dance with mine. Yep, he's awake. His hands move from my waist along my back and tangle themselves in my hair. He moves himself so he is now hovering over me, deepening the kiss. He is only wearing his boxers, so I run my hands all over his magnificent chest and back. I love the feel of his toned muscles under my touch. I pull down on him, wanting to feel the full weight of him on me. I crave the way his body feels against mine. He lets out another moan as I run my nails down his back. I smile against his lips, loving his reaction.

"Good morning, babe." I pull away slightly to look into his eyes.

"Yes, it's a very good morning waking up with you." he kisses me again. "You have no idea how many times I wished you would wake me up like this." he confesses.

"You have no idea how many times I've been tempted to do so." he looks surprised at my admission. "I always gave you a kiss on the cheek, though, before I woke you up." I smile at him and pull him back down to me. After a while of making out, I know I have to get up to start my shift. Plus, if I don't stop us right now, we're going to go a lot farther than I'm ready for. I break away from lips, breathing heavily because, yeah, he's a great kisser. "Unfortunately, we both have to get to work, so we'll have to continue this later." He looks so disappointed, I can't help but laugh. We both get up and he starts to get dressed, which saddens me. After he finishes putting on his shoes, he comes over to me and wraps his arms around me.

"Don't look so sad, I'll see you later, I promise." He kisses the end of my nose.

"It's not that really. I was just hoping you could wash my back." I pout.

"Oh, Rose, don't tempt me, but I don't have any clean clothes here. Next time, I promise." I laugh out loud because that's what I used to tell him when he asked me to join him in the shower.

"Okay. I'll hold you to it." I walk him to the front door and we kiss each other goodbye. My lips are so chapped right now from all the kissing, it's not funny. I take a shower and get dressed in my stupid guardian uniform and head to my post. This morning I'm working in the daycare center, my favorite place to guard. I walk in and all the kids coming running to me and try to knock me down.

"Guardian Hathaway! Wrestle with us." the scream at me. I fall to the floor and about ten three and four year olds tackle me. I start to tickle them all as they do the same to me. Then, as they commanded, I play wrestle each one and eventually lose to them all. I love watching their little victory dances they do when they beat me. Once they all had a turn to defeat me, the teacher calls them all over to the carpet for reading time. I take my post by the door and stand guard. I love watching them play and color. One little boy, Kevin, loves to paint pictures of me. He pulls me over to the art area and has me pose for him. The other kids dress me up in silly hats and scarves and position me in silly poses. I have so much fun playing with the kids, it makes me think about Adrian and I starting a family. He is going to be a great dad. By the time nap times rolls around, my shift is over and I leave to find Guardian Conner.

My stomach starts growling at me demanding to be fed. I head to the guardian lunch room hoping there's something good on the menu. I walk in and take a look around to find a seat, and see just the man I was looking for, eating alone. I sneak up behind him and tap him on one shoulder while leaning around the other to steal a french fry. "Get your own lunch Hathaway." he pulls his plate out of my reach.

"Fine, I will. Don't go anywhere 'cause I need to talk to you." I say as I get up to get me some grub. I return with a cheeseburger and fries and sit in the empty seat next to him. I throw a fry at him to make up for the one I stole, only it doesn't end up on his plate, but in his shirt. "Two points!" I yell, arms in the air. He pulls it out of is shirt and throws it back to me. Gross. I dodge it and it lands on the table.

"So what did you want to talk about? Ready to admit your hot for my bod?" he waggles his eyebrows up and down.

"You know it!" I return the eyebrow gesture. "Actually I need a really big favor." I give him the puppy dog eyes that always work on Adrian. They don't seem to have the same effect on Conner, though, because he's just staring at me waiting to hear what the favor is. "Well, you know how Adrian is dating that skank, Emily Conta, right?" he laughs at my description of her and nods. "He wants to break up with her, but can't tell her the real reason why, so we thought about making it look like she's cheating on him and then he could use that as an excuse to end it with her." I hope he doesn't ask too many questions.

"What's the real reason he wants to break up? Is it because she's a royal bitch?"

"That's part of it. If I tell you the real reason, you have to swear you won't tell anyone. I mean it, I will hurt you if you open your mouth." I say seriously while pointing at him. He puts his hands up in surrender.

"I promise not to tell a soul. What's going on?" He looks so curious. He must love gossip.

"Adrian and I are secretly dating." I whisper so no one else in the room can hear. He looks a little shocked, but then a smile pulls at the corner of his mouth.

"I guess his persistance finally paid off. Good for him." Not quite the reaction I expected, but good nontheless. Suddenly he looks confused. "What does any of this have to do with me?"

"Well, umm. we thought that it would really humiliate her if she was caught cheating on him with a Dhampir, particularly a guardian. You know how she feels about Moroi and guardian relationships, that it's shameful and wrong. Ugh, I can't stand her. Anyway, I was wondering if you would be that guardian that she was caught with?" I ask the last part timidly. I hope I didn't just totally offend him.

"Do you really think she's going to fall for this? I mean, the way she thinks of guardians is like we're servants. She doesn't seem the type to intermix with the help." he says while eating his fries.

"You don't know anything about women. All women have a fantasy about a big strong gorgeous man sweeping us off our feet and making us feel like the sexiest woman alive. You just need to flirt with her, you know, gaze at her, compliment her, help her with her packages or that damn dog. She'll eat it up. And make sure you smile at her. You have a great smile that we girls just melt to." This seems to have boosted his confidence as he sits straighter in his chair.

"I still don't think it'll work, but I'll try, on one condition." Uh oh, here it comes.

"I want to take ballroom dance lessons in town, and I need a partner. You take the lessons with me, I'll do what I can with the Conta chick." I try hard not to laugh at his desire to take dance lessons.

"Wow, umm, wh-why do you want to t-take l-lessons?" I get out as best I can. He glares at me and I manage to calm down.

"Remember when we went to the mall with Conta's guardians?" I nod, how could I forget getting attacked by Strigoi. "Well, Guardian Jenkins mentioned that she liked to ballroom dance, and I thought it would be nice to learn and then maybe take her dancing one night." Oh my gosh, that's so cute.

"Oh, that's so romantic. I would love to take lessons with you. I don't know how but I know Adrian does. When are the lessons?" Maybe if I learn to dance, I won't feel so ackward at the royal balls I just know Adrian will drag me to when we go public about our relationship.

"They start tonight, and run everynight for the next week. I'm sure we can get someone to replace any night shifts you have." he suggests. Hmm, that means less Adrian time, but he'll be with Emily anyway. I'm sure he won't mind.

"Okay, you have a deal. Oh, we need to get photographic evidence of the two of you together, so when you think she's about to crack, call me and I'll take care of the rest." This is going to be great.

After lunch, I go to my grueling training session. We're doing the same as yesterday, but since I did so well my confidence is higher. I get through the boring part of the session, weights and drills and then wait for the combat portion. I assume Adrian will be here again, but I don't see him, yet. We get started anyway. I'm fighting ten guardians again, and I'm doing very well. I'm staying focussed and concentrating on using all my senses to help me know where my enemy is. We take a break, and I check out the damage I've received so far and find I suffered a couple broken ribs and the beginnings of a huge bruise on my hip and back. Not to mention the scratches on my arms. I look around and I still don't see Adrian. Emily must be keeping him busy somewhere. I wonder if she ever found Spartacus after Adrian let him loose.

The second half, Roger says we're going to work on not letting myself get distracted, since I voiced to him my concerns about that. While I'm fighting, he's going to have certain things around me to try and get me to avert my attention away from my attackers. I'm a little nervous, because this is my worst nightmare coming true. But I know I can only get better through practice, so I get ready. We start fighting and I hear someone shouting my name, but I block it out and keep fighting. I manage to stay so focussed I don't even notice any other distractions, until I certain voice rings out. I hear little Kevin from the day care. "Guardian Hathaway, help." he yells as I hear him running toward me. I turn around to stop him from getting too close when I feel a fist as solid as stone hit me in the temple. Then blackness.

**Emily POV**

I am so pissed at Adrian right now, I could spit. He never came back last night after looking for Spartacus. Luckily, I found my little baby in the park, shaking under a park bench, he was so scared. It took me a while to calm him down, no thanks to Adrian. I went to his apartment after I found Spartacus, but he wasn't there. I have a feeling he was with that guardian of his. Apparently keeping him away from her isn't working too well. I'll have to come up with a better plan. I'll have to think about that later, because now I have to go to that damn committee. At least I'll see Adrian there and find out what happened to him.

I see him sitting by himself, leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed and a big goofy grin on his face. How much you want to bet he's thinking about her? I pull out the seat next to him loudly so he'll wake up from his daydream. "Adrian, where were you last night? I looked for you but you weren't home?" I wonder what excuse he'll give me.

"I went over to Tasha and Dimitri's after I couldn't find your dog. Rose was having a cooking lesson and I wanted to know how it went." Hmm, I don't think he's lying.

"Oh, well why didn't you tell me? I would've come witih you."

"Sorry, but I didn't think you liked socializing with guardians." he says a little bitter.

"Well, you could at least told me where you were. I was worried." I don't need him getting mad at me and breaking up with me. Then what would I do when the social season starts pretty soon. If I want to raise my social status, I need to be on the arm of someone higher up than me. And you can't do much better than the Queen's favorite nephew. I lean in and give him a kiss on the cheek. "Well, you can make it up to me today, sweetheart." He's not getting away from me tonight.

After the meeting, I drag Adrian with me to do a little shopping. I know he wants to go to the gym to watch his tramp of a guardian train so he can heal her if she gets her butt kicked, but I have other plans. "Hey, Emily, I think we should go watch Rose train. She might need me." He tells me as he grabs my hand and starts to lead me out of the store.

"Nonsense, Adrian. She's the best, remember." Wow that was really hard to spit out. "If they need you, they'll call. We're just a few minutes away from her. Stop worrying and relax. She'll be fine." I certainly don't want a repeat of yesterday when he kissed her, thinking no one could see them. There is no way I'm losing him to a lowly Dhampir blood whore. I need to disable his phone in case she tries to call him and get him away from me. "Can I see your phone a second? I think the time on my phone is wrong." He hands it to me and walks over to the jewelry case. I his phone off and slip it back into his pocket so he doesn't look at it and turn it back on.

We continue shopping but his mind is a million miles away. I convince him to get something to eat with me at the little cafe. He isn't eating much, just pushing his food around with his fork. I'm about to say something about his behavior, when the door burst open and a big guardian runs through the door. It's that guardian that knocked up Tasha, Damen I think his name is. He looks around the room, searching for something. He sees us and comes rushing over.

"Ivashkov, Rose needs you. Now!" he yells as he grabs Adrian and drags him out. I throw some money on the table and follow. They jump in a car and barely wait for me to get in. I wonder what she did now. I thought we were going to the gym to heal her boo boo's, but we aren't going in that direction. Instead, we're headed to the Court hospital. I can see the panic all over both of their faces. Adrian has gone ghostly pale and is holding his head in his hands. We pull up at the hospital and Adrian flies out of the car and follows the guardian in. I hand Spartacus to a guardian standing at the front doors and catch up to them. We get to her room and I freeze when I see her. She's laying motionless in the bed with all sorts of tubes and wires hooked up to her. She has bruises and cuts all over her and a bandage on her head. It looks like there is a machine helping her breath and a heart monitor showing that her heart is still beating.

Adrian runs up to her and places his hands on her and closes his eyes and concentrates. After about five minutes, he collapses to the floor. I run to him and try to pick him up, but he's too heavy for me. Thanksfully that guardian helps me sit him in a chair. "Rose." he murmurs. He scoots his chair closer to her bed and holds her hand. He starts crying into her hand and repeats her name over and over again. I see her eyes start to flutter and I smack his arm to get his attention. He looks up and sees her open her eyes and look over to him. He jumps out of his chair and practically jumps on her. I can't believe he's getting this worked up over his guardian.

"Adrian, maybe we need to leave her alone so she can get some rest." He doesn't even look at me but shakes his head.

"I'm not leaving her side until I can take her home." He looks over to Guardian Belikov.

"What happened?" he says with the authority he should be using all the time.

"She was working on fighting while being distracted. One of the children from the daycare came in and started running toward her. She turned her attention away from the fight and was hit in the head. The doctor said her brain started swelling. I tried to call you but your phone must be turned off because I couldn't get through." his voice getting angrier as he goes on. Adrian digs in his pocket to get his phone. He sees that it is turned off. Of course he looks at me with a glare that scares the shit out of me.

"Adrian, I'm going to leave you alone to take care of Guar..Rose. Let me know if there is anything I can do." I turn to leave but before I make it out the door, he grabs my arm and forcefully turns me around to face him.

"Did you turn off my phone?" he growls. I certainly can't tell him the truth.

"I'm sorry, I must have accidently done it when I was checking the time. I'm truely sorry." I say as I manage to sqeeze a tear out. I should get an Oscar for this performance. He stares at me for a moment and then lets me go. I watch him walk back over to her bed and lean in to kiss her lips. I turn on my heels and quickly walk away. I can't believe he is falling for her. There is no way I'm letting her take him away from me. I just need to come up with a better plan, and I will.

**Ooh, lots of drama this chapter. Thanks for reading and let me know what you think by reviewing.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey, guess what. I still don't own Vampire Academy.**

**Adrian POV**

I'm such an idiot! Rose invites into her shower and I pass that up because I don't have any clean clothes? Ugh! Note to self, bring a change of clothes to keep over at Rose's for such shower emergencies. But, last night was amazing. She finally said it, she told me she loved me. I am officially the happiest man in the world. Rose is mine, all mine. I can still feel the burn her lips left on mine when she kisses me. Since the day I met her, I dreamed of waking up next to her, kissing her sweet lips before I even opened my eyes. I mean, Rose and I have shared the same bed to sleep before, but she never let anything romantic happen between us. But now that her walls are down, oh man! We didn't go farther then some heavy petting last night, I don't want to rush her. I know she's never had sex before, although she came pretty close with Belikov. I want to take my time so she knows she means more to me than physical pleasure. Although that was abso-freakin-tastic! I somehow make it to my apartment, though I don't even remember walking here. My mind is too absorbed with images of Rose and me last night. I shower quickly and get dressed for work. This morning is going to be torture being without my Rose.

I get to the meeting a little early and find a seat near the front, hoping it will help keep my mind off a certain sexy guardian. I lean back in the chair and close my eyes and imagine what our lives are going to look like years from now. I imagine her and I married with a little girl with her hair and my eyes running around a very pregnant Rose. The look of love and happiness in our eyes makes a smile spread across my face. I've had this dream since that fatefull day at the ski lodge, and now it is getting closer and closer to becoming reality.

The irritating noise and metal scraping the lenolium floor brings me out of my wonderful daydream. I look over to see who dares to sit next to me and interupt my thoughts, when I see Emily looking at me. "Adrian, where were you last night? I looked for you but you weren't home?" she whines. I can't believe I have to spend another week with her. I would tell her to go to hell right now, except Rose seems to be looking forward to humiliating her. I know I'll do anything for Rose, but this is torture.

"I went over to Tasha and Dimitri's after I couldn't find your dog. Rose was having a cooking lesson and I wanted to know how it went." If she wants to know, I'll tell her the truth. Maybe she'll break up with me and I won't have to deal with her anymore.

"Oh, well why didn't you tell me? I would've come witih you." Because I didn't want you there, duh.

"Sorry, but I didn't think you liked socializing with guardians." I say harshly, but really, her attitude toward guardians sucks. It embarrasses me to be around her.

"Well, you could at least told me where you were. I was worried." Sure you were. Then she leans in and kisses my cheek. "Well, you can make it up to me today, sweetheart." That doesn't sound good. The meeting goes by very slowly. I can feel Emily's gaze lay heavy on me throughout the morning. I sure wish she would lose interest in me and find some other royal to annoy. As soon as Tasha dismisses us, Emily grabs my arm and pulls out of my chair and out the door. I look back over my shoulder and look to Tasha with pleading eyes to get me out of this mess. All she can do is shrug her shoulders and suppress a laugh.

I look at my watch and see that it's about time for Rose to be doing her combat training. After all the injuries she suffered yesterday, I want to be there with her just in case something goes wrong. "Hey, Emily, I think we should go watch Rose train. She might need me." I say as I try to lead her out of the store.

"Nonsense, Adrian. She's the best, remember." she says as she stops in her tracks. "If they need you, they'll call. We're just a few minutes away from her. Stop worrying and relax. She'll be fine." Relax? Easy for her to say. The love of her life, her other half, isn't in a gym getting brutally attacked by many burly guardians just to keep her alive one day. I don't think relaxing is something I'll be doing until she's safely in my arms again. "Can I see your phone a second? I think the time on my phone is wrong." she asks. I'm barely paying attention to her, but hand her the phone hoping she'll leave me alone to my thoughts. I walk over to the jewelry case and look around. They have the usual gold chains and bracelets, a few engagement rings and diamond earrings, but nothing that is special enough for my Rose. I feel Emily place my phone back into my pocket as I look the rings. I have the perfect ring already to give Rose when I ask her to marry me, the only problem is that it is currently in the possesion of my aunt, the Queen. She has agreed to give it to me to propose, if she approves of the girl. The ring belonged to my great grandmother. It's simple yet beautiful, just like Rose. Now I just have to convince my aunt that Rose is the right woman for me.

We continue going from store to store, but I don't even notice what's in front of me, I'm just so consumed with worry. Emily must be hungry because before I know it, we're at the little cafe and sitting at a table. Huh, weird. I don't even remember ordering, but there is a plate of food in front of me. I'm not hungry at all. In fact I feel a little nauseus wondering if Rose is okay. I play with my food on my plate and totally ignore whatever Emily is jabbering on about. Suddenly the door slams open, getting my attention. I see Dimitri standing in the doorway looking around. Our eyes lock and he starts heading my way. "Ivashkov, Rose needs you. Now!" he yells as he pulls me out of my chair.

My heart instantly drops to my stomach at his words. Rose needs me. The panic on his face is scarring the hell out of me. I can't lose her, not now that I finally got her. We rush out of the restaurant in record speed. Normally Moroi aren't as fast as Dhampirs, but with Rose's well being on the line, I could break every speed record ever set getting to her. I didn't even notice Emily in the car with me until we got to the hospital. My heart is beating out of my chest as I run through the halls to get to her room. I follow Dimitri into a room and my heart stops as I look at the sight before me. Rose is laying unconscious in the bed with tubes and wires hooked up to her. But the part that makes me want to get sick right here, she has no aura. No shadows, no light. Nothing. The machines are keeping her alive. I run over to her side and put my hands on her head to heal her because I'll be damned if I'm letting her go without one hell of a fight.

I summon all the magic I feel inside myself and push it to Rose with everything I have, even if I have to give her my very life. I move one hand over her heart and keep concentrating on healing her. I can feel all my energy leaving me and transferring to her. I just hope this is working. Finally when I have no more magic in me to give, I collapse in exhaustion. Someone picks me up and puts me in the chair by her bed. "Rose" I cry. It is the only word in my existance right now. I scoot up closer to her and take her hand in mine. I can no longer keep my emotions in check. All the fear and worry and love I'm feeling come spilling out through my tears. I just keep repeating her name like a mantra, keeping myself from going totally over the deep end. I don't even know anyone else is in the room anymore until someone smacks my arm.

I look up to see Rose's beautiful brown eyes looking lovingly at me. I did it! She's alive! I jump up to take her in my arms. A nurse comes in and removes the tube from her mouth so she can breath on her own. "Adrian, maybe we need to leave her alone so she can get some rest." I hear Emily say behind me, but I don't even look at her. I never want to stop looking at my Rose's wonderful and alive face.

"I'm not leaving her side until I can take her home." I announce to everyone in earshot. Rose smiles at me and reaches up to caress my face. Now that she's safe with me, the anger in me starts to build wondering what the hell went wrong that she ended up dead. It's supposed to be training for crying out loud. "What happened?" I direct to Dimitri, anger clearly in my voice.

"She was working on fighting while being distracted. One of the children from the daycare came in and started running toward her. She turned her attention away from the fight and was hit in the head. The doctor said her brain started swelling. I tried to call you but your phone must be turned off because I couldn't get through." That can't be right. I always leave it on. It was on the last time I checked, when I lent it to Emily. I pull it out of my pocket and sure enough, it's off. Emily. I can't believe she would stoop so low to keep me away from Rose. I turn to look at her, anger consuming me.

"Adrian, I'm going to leave you alone to take care of Guar..Rose. Let me know if there is anything I can do." She starts to leave, looking terrified, like she should.

"Did you turn off my phone?" I growl. I'm so pissed right now, I want to scream.

"I'm sorry, I must have accidently done it when I was checking the time. I'm truely sorry." she tells me standing in the doorway, clearly wanting to run away. I see a tear fall down her cheek. Of course, I don't believe her. The sight of her is starting to sicken me. I turn away from her, no longer wanting to look at her, and give all my attention back to Rose. I hear her walk away as I lean down to give my angel a kiss.

Any adrenaline I had keeping me conscious is slowly fading. I feel myself getting weaker and weaker and I sit back down in the chair. "Adrian, stay awake." Rose yells to me. I struggle to keep my eyes open. All the healing I did is starting to take its toll. "I need a feeder in here right away." I hear Rose tell a nurse.

"Honey, you're a Dhampir, you don't need blood." The nurse talks to Rose like she's an idoit.

"No shit. How many years of med school did it take you to figure that one out? It's for him." she points over to me. Now I know Rose will be okay if she can still bring out the attitude full force. A few minutes later, one of the human feeders that live here at Court comes in and I drink. I instantly start to feel better, but still tired. I can also start to feel some of the darkness in me from using my magic. Rose moves over in her bed and pats the empty spot next to her. I don't question the invitation and climb in willingly. I wrap my arms around her and bury my face in her hair, taking in her intoxicating scent. I can't believe I almost lost her today. I don't know what I would do if that ever happened.

"How are you feeling?" she asks me. "Do you need a drink or cigarette?" She has her head on my chest with her arms holding me tight. I can't believe she's so concerned with me.

"Rose, I'll be fine." I gently kiss her head and hold her tighter. The doctor comes in and tells us that they need to run some tests to make sure she's alright. I reluctantly get off the bed so they can wheel her off to wherever she needs to go. I decide to go outside for some fresh air and a cigarette. I lean against the building wall as I light up a cancer stick, as Rose refers to them. I slide down the wall and and drop my head and let silent tears flow. I've never been a real religeous man, but thank you whoever is watching over Rose and me that allowed me to get to her in time.

"Are you going to be okay?" I jerk my head up, startled by the voice. It's Dimitri.

"You scared the shit out of me, man. Don't sneak up on people like that. Bad for the ticker." I say then take a long drag of the cigarette. I can feel the darkness starting to fade away now. "Are you following me?"

"Yes. Rose would kill me if anything happened to you." I chuckle at that. I could see that happening too. I motion for him to take a seat next to me, and he does. "I know it's not my place, but thank you for saving her life." he says looking straight ahead.

"Well, I didn't do it for you. Hell, at that very moment, I didn't even do it for her. I did it for me, because the thought of living in this world without her scared the hell out of me. I guess I'm just a coward at heart."

"No, you're a man in love." I look over at him and I can see the pain in his face.

"I guess I should probably be thanking you, too, for finding me in time. I can't believe I let Emily keep me away when I knew I should have been there. Well, I'm not making that mistake ever again." I put out what's left of the first cigarette, and light up another. We sit there in silence for another twenty minutes or so and then decide to go back in to see if she's done with her tests. She's back in her room, asleep in the bed. I go to sit in the chair next to her when she opens her eyes and then moves over, making room for me. I smile and resume my spot from before. "I love you Rose. Get some sleep now." I whisper to her.

"I love you, too." she murmurs softly. I look over to see Dimitri trying to get comfortable in the chair.

"You don't have to stay here all night. I'll call you if anything happens. Go home to Tasha." I know he still loves Rose and wants to be here for her, but he needs to move on, and staying here isn't going to help. He pauses in his seat, contemplating his situation. He then stands up and walks over to Rose's side of the bed. He leans down and kisss her cheek.

"Get well, Roza. I'll see you in the morning." he whispers to her. He nods his head to me and turns to leave. He stops at the threshold and faces me. "Take good care of her." he tells me. I get the feeling he isn't just talking about tonight.

**I know it didn't reveal too much, plot wise, but I felt it necessary to hear how Adrian felt through all of this. Review please and let me know what you think.**


	18. Chapter 18

**A big THANK YOU to all my wonderful readers who submit reviews. They really help me with the story.**

**I changed my profile picture to Adrian since I'm working on a Rose and Adrian story right now. I think it looks just how I picture Adrian in my head. What do you think? I hope you enjoy this chapter, and don't forget to review. They make my day.**

**I'm not Richelle Mead, and I don't own Vampire Academy.**

**Rose POV**

"Guardian Hathaway, you look good this morning. How are you feeling?" The new doctor asks me while looking at my chart. He seems rather young, probably right out of med school. Cute though. Maybe I should tell Mia. She's still single.

"Really well actually considering I died yesterday. My ribs are a little sore and I have a bit of a headache, but other than that, I'm fine." I shrug. Adrian's sitting next to me in the chair by my bed, holding my hand. "So when can I blow this pop stand, Dr...?" I don't remember his name, since this is the first time I actually talked to him.

"Dr Brown. Well, the test we ran last night look good. The swelling in your brain is gone and the rest of your vitals are perfect. You're very lucky to have a friend with such abilites." he says looking over to Adrian.

"Yes, I'm a very lucky girl." I squeeze his hand and smile at him.

"I would like you to stay for a few more hours, then I'll release you on the conditions that someone stays with you at night for the next few days and no physical combat training for the next week. You can do your conditioning, but I don't want you getting hit for a while." He looks over to me, waiting for me to agree.

"A week?! That's going to totally set me back. Ugh!" I scream in frustration. Adrian pretty much ignores my outburst and stands up to shake Doctor Brown's hand.

"Don't worry, doctor. I'll make sure she follows the rules." Doctor Brown nods at us and goes on his merry way. Adrian turns back to me and leans down to kiss my pouting lips. "It's only for one week and he said you can still do the weight training and punching bag, as long as it doesn't hit back." he chuckles. I guess that's better than no training at all.

"And, we get a doctor's note that says you have to sleep with me." I waggle my eyebrows at him and his eyes go wide as he practically attacks me on the bed. He hovers over me, holding all his weight on his elbows and starts kissing me all over my face, leaving my mouth alone just to annoy me. I start laughing as I try to get him to hold still for a proper kiss, when we hear someone clearing their throat behind us. We look over and see the Queen standing in the doorway with four guardians behind her. Adrian quickly jumps off the bed and walks over to greet his aunt.

"Aunt Tatianna, I'm surprised to see you here." He says as he gives her a hug.

"I heard what happened to Guardian Hathaway in her training session yesterday. I just wanted to visit and see if she was alright. I also hear you saved her life dear nephew." She says in a formal tone. I'm glad she's here because I want to talk to her about a few things. I just need to get Adrian out of the room, which is going to be a difficult task.

"Yes, thankfully I was able to get here in time. She's going to be released this afternoon to my care." She looks over to me to confirm what he said and I just shrug my shoulders. I figured he'd be my side as much as he could anyway.

"Do you think that's appropriate? Rumors spread like wildfire around here, especially with both of your reputations. You don't need the scandal." Her words are stern but laced with concern.

"She's my friend, Aunt Tatianna and she needs me. I don't care what other people think." He walks back over to me and takes my hand. He stands and I sit there like a united front.

"And what of Lady Conta? What will she think of this little arrangement?" Like I care. Actually, I hope it pisses her off.

"Frankly my dear Aunt, I don't give a damn what she thinks." Tatianna frowns at his admission and looks over to me.

"Adrian, would you mind giving Guardian Hathaway and me some privacy?" she asks. He looks a little warry to leave the two of us alone together since we are known to not get along, as far as everyone else knows.

"Hey, Adrian, could you be a doll and go down to the coffee shop and get me one of their chocolate donuts I love?" I give him my best doe eyes and pouty lips. "It's okay. I'm sure she just wants to talk." He takes one last long look at Tatianna and then sighs. He kisses me on the forehead before leaving.

"Rosemarie, I must say you gave me quite a scare. Are you sure you're well enough to leave the hospital so soon?" she asks concerned.

"Oh sure. Adrian healed me last night, so I'm good to go. I just can't do my usual training for a week."

"And you're going to be staying at Adrian's home during this time?" she asks uneasy. I know it's not personal, but she is concerned about appearrances.

"You know Adrian. He just wants to take care of me. I'm supposed to have someone stay with me for the next few nights. Would you rather he stayed at my place?" I'll give her the option, but bottom line is Adrian is the person staying by my side.

"As long as your careful, I guess it really doesn't matter where you stay." she sighs.

"So, is there any new developements concerning Stephan?" Hopefully his where abouts has been discovered. The sooner I can kill this guy and get him out of our lives, the better.

"Actually, that's the main reason for my visit. He's been spotted in the next town. We don't exactly know where he's staying, but we know it's nearby. Hopefully by the time you've recovered, we'll know, and you and a few other guardians can go and take care of this problem." I'm excited and nervous about this information. I've been working and training so hard for two years to get to this point, and now it's almost here. I just hope I don't have a repeat of last night.

"That's great. Who are the other guardians that you have assigned to help me?" They better be good, no, great.

"Guardians Belikov, Chenko, Conner, Ailseworth and Johnson." she ticks them off on her fingers. There is one name on that list that sets off my alarm bells.

"I know he's the best, but does Dimitri really need to come? It's a very dangerous mission and he's going to have a baby in a few months. Isn't there anyone else?" If anything happens to him, right before he gets to see his baby girl born, I don't know what I'll do.

"Rose, he _is_ one of the best and this _is_ dangerous mission. All the more reason to have him by your side." I sit in my bed and shake my head like a stubborn little child.

"He's not going. I know very well that not all of us are going to return and I can't bare the thought of Dimitri dying to save my boyfriend." The word slipped out before I even realized it. Her eyes went wide and it took me a second to figure out why.

"Your boyfriend? I thought you were going to wait until you killed Stephan to tell Adrian how you feel. What changed?" She sounds a bit pissed that I went back on my word to wait.

"Well, I was talking to Dimitri and he helped me realize that I can do both, protect him and love him, because I already do. Plus, the likelyhood that I make it out alive on our raid is pretty slim. I want to be with him as much as I can before I die. Especially since the time to fight is getting nearer." With this deadline looming over me, I'm starting to understand just how precious time is, and not to waste a second of it. I want to spend as much time with Adrian as I can.

"I see. And who knows about the two of you?" she sounds like she's calming down a bit.

"Just our close friends. We're keeping it secret, don't worry." I try to reassure her.

"And what of Emily Conta. Isn't Adrian dating her already?"

"You mean the bitch? Yeah, well that's complicated. He's going to break it off with her, but we want to have a little fun with her first." I say with a devious grin. She gives me a disapproving look. "Have you ever talked with her? She treats guardians like second class citizens. If she knew about Ambrose, she'd look down on you too."

She was about to say something when Adrian returns with my donut and one for his aunt, which she declins. "Hand that baby over here then." I motion with hand for the pastry while stuffing my face with the other. They both laugh, but I'm hungry and hospital food isn't very appealing.

"Well, I'll be leaving now. I'm glad you're doing better Guardian Hathaway. Adrian." She nods to both of us and leaves with her pack of guardians flanking her. Adrian faces me as soon as she's gone.

"What did my aunt want to talk to you about?" Curiousity filling his voice.

"She asked about my training and how you and Emily were getting along." It's not a total lie. I just left out a few topics. I move over so he can join me in the bed again. I don't like it when he's away too long. He puts his arm around my shoulder and I lean my head on his chest while I munch away on my delicious donut. I look up him as he watches the tv. I could watch him all day. I take a piece of my gooey chocolate donut and bring it up to his mouth to give him a bite. He opens his mouth and I feed him. He grabs my hand before I can put it down, and he begins to lick and suck the icing off my fingers. Oh. My. God. This is totally turning me on. When he's done with my fingers, he starts leaving kisses along my arm and up to my shoulder and neck, making his way to my mouth. I guess I have a little icing on the corner of my mouth, because he gently licks it away before pressing his lips to mine. The kiss quickly heats up as both of us can't seem to get enough of the other. I move him under me and pin him down with my entire body. His hands are on my hips while mine are running through his hair. I start to move my mouth down to his neck, when someone knocks on my door. Damn it to hell! Does everyone need to interupt us? I move to lay next to Adrian and look to see who spoiled out little party. It's Tasha and Dimitri.

"Oh Rose." Tasha comes over to give me a hug. "I was so worried about you, but it seems you recover quickly." she gives me a wink, making me blush. Dimitri has a vase of flowers in his hands that he places on the table by my bed. They're all sorts of differnt colors, though I have no clue what kinds they are.

"How are you feeling Rose? What did the doctor say?" Dimitri asks. I can see the concern in his eyes.

"I'm going home today. Adrian volunteered to stay with me at night and I can't do hand to hand combat for a week. Other than that, I'm good." Hell, I'm ready to go home now. Dimitri just nods his head at the information.

"As you can probably guess, I won't be in today, Tasha." Adrian informs her while he squeezes my shoulder.

"I figured that out as soon as I got here." she smiles. "Emily will be so disappointed you're not there." We all flinch at the mention of her name. We chit chat for a little while until Tasha says she needs to leave. Tasha gives me a hug and Dimitri just rubs my leg and tells me to rest up before he takes Tasha's hand and walks out the door. Seeing Dimitri make an effort to move on makes me smile. Now, I just need to make sure he's stays alive long enough to see his happy ending, that little baby girl.

Now that we're alone again, I try to continue where we left off, only to be interupted again. God, I so want to get out of here. This time it's Conner. "Hathaway, if you didn't want to go dancing with me, you could have just said so." We both laugh while Adrian looks confused, and a little jealous.

"Conner asked if I would take ballroom dance lessons with him so he can impress Guardian Jenkins. In exchange he would flirt with Emily so we could get a good photo of her having an affair with a guardian." Understanding washes over his face. "Sorry about that. Can we still get in the class?"

"Yeah, you can come tomorrow moring. The classes are full of humans, so they start in their evening, our morning. Oh, the instructor said to wear heals. I assume that's just for you." he winks. I look over to Adrian to see if he has any objections.

"I don't suppose you'd let me go with you? Just to watch." Is he serious?

"No. You aren't leaving these wards unless absolutely necessary. Conner and I will be safe, trust me." I give him a peck on the lips. "But I'm sure I'll have homework you can help me with." I say with another kiss, which makes him smile.

"Okay, since dancing isn't considered combat training, although I haven't seen you dance yet, Conner. Just be gentle with her." he warns with a smile.

Finally a few hours later, a nurse comes in to release me and Adrian takes me to my room after stopping by his apartment for some clean clothes. The first thing I need to do is take a shower, Adrian too. He hasn't left my side, except for when he got my donut when the queen wanted to talk to me. "A hot shower sounds like heaven right now. Will you help me out? Head injury and all, I don't want to get dizzy and fall." I ask as I walk to my bathroom, removing my clothes along the way, leaving a trail of clothes on the floor. Adrian's never seen me completely naked, so I'm a little nervous to his reaction. I look over my shoulder to see if he's coming, and I see him standing in the doorway looking at me, practically drooling. I point to his fully clothed body. "You can't get too clean with all your clothes on, so strip."

"I might need some help." he says seductively. Who can resist that invitation. I walk up to him and help him unbotton his shirt and pants. When the last stitch of his clothing is laying on the floor, he leans and crashes his lips to mine. He pushes me against the bedroom door as our kissing gets hungrier and deeper. I'm just glad that no one can interupt us now, or so I thought.

_BANG BANG BANG_

Someone is knocking on my front door. I look up and growl. "You've got to be freakin' kidding me!"

**Hmm, who's knocking at the door? It seems the showdown with Stephan is coming soon. And don't forget the Conta's. I think Rose and Adrian are going to be real busy, real soon. Anyway, thanks for reading and please review and let me know how I'm doing.**


	19. Chapter 19

**If you think I own Vampire Academy, you're sadly mistaken. And I'm just sad.**

**Rose POV**

I can't believe Adrian and I are being interupted. Again. I lean my forehead against his chest and groan. "Why can't people leave us alone?" He kisses the top of my head and chuckles.

"Just be quiet and maybe whoever it is will go away." he whispers. Good idea. Why didn't I think of that?

_Bang Bang Bang_

I hold my breath hoping they'll give up. "Rose, I know you're in there." It's Lissa. "Open this door right now or I'll have Eddie break it down!" Lissa can be pretty pushy when she wants to be. I know there's no getting out of this, and I'd rather not have to replace my front door.

"Hold on, Lissa. I'll be right there." I yell. I give Adrian a peck on the lips and walk to my bathroom to get my robe. "Why don't you jump in the shower and we'll continue this tonight." I say as I put my arms in the sleeves.

"Alright. Go let Lissa know you're alive and well and I'll be right out." He tries to give me a quick kiss, but neither of us can seem to break away.

"Rose. I'm counting to three and then bye bye door! One..." I break away from Adrian and run to answer the door. "two.."

I open the door to see Lissa and Christian standing by the wall next to the door and Eddie in front like he's about ready to ram it. "You know, a phone call would've been just as effective." I tell them all. I stand aside and let them in. They take in my attire, or lack thereof, and look away.

"Did we interupt something?" Lissa asks with a smirk on her face.

"Yes, actually. I was about to take a shower." A look of understanding crosses their faces, until they hear the shower turn on.

"Not alone, I take it." Christian says while he waggles his eyebrows up and down. I can feel the blood rush to my cheeks. "Hey Adrian." he yells to the other room. "It is Adrian, isn't it?" he asks me. Lissa smacks him upside his head.

"Of course it's Adrian. He was at the hospital all night with me and hadn't cleaned up. He's staying with me for the next couple nights, doctors orders." I tell them. Christian looks like he wants to say something else, but the glare I give him stops him.

We all sit down in the living room and I explain what happened in the gym and when I woke up since I was unconscious for the in between part. Adrian comes walking out of my bedroom, clean and dressed. "Hello cousins, Eddie." he greets them before sitting down next to me on the couch and kissing my cheek.

"I'm going to excuse myself and jump in the shower. I'll be right out. Adrian can fill you in on the stuff I couldn't." I leave them talking as I jump in the hot shower. It feels good to finally get all the grime off me. I jump out and get dressed into some comfortable clothes and go join my friends once again.

"Hey, we were wondering since you technically died, if our bond is still in effect." Lissa looks a little worried that my dying again broke our bond. I hadn't thought about it since both of us have built up blocks, so I haven't felt her emotions or gotten sucked into her head for quite some time.

"Well, put down your blocks and I'll do the same and let's see." I reach out to see if I can register how Lissa is feeling. I do feel her nervousness and worry for me. _Testing, testing. one, two, three. _I can hear from her thoughts. I smile and look at her. "It's still intact. I can hear you just fine." Lissa looks relieved. While I have the bond open, I pull all the darkness I feel inside her into me.

"I know it sounds silly, but I feel better knowing we still have a connection no one else has." I understand what's she's talking about. Even though I'm not her guardian, her safety is still very important to me. We all chat for about another hour before they have to leave. I shut the door behind them and Adrian comes over and hugs me from behind.

"Finally, we're alone. I wonder how long it will last before someone else decides to come bother us." I turn around in his arms and rest my head on his chest and hold him tight.

"With the way the day has been going, I expect someone to come calling any minute now." Sure enough, a moment later Adrian's phone starts to ring. This causes a fit of laughter for both of us. He looks at the caller ID and sees that Emily is trying to call him. We both groan and he tosses the phone over his shoulder to the couch as he leans into me and gently presses his lips to mine. He softly kisses me for about a minute, when my stomach growls. I break away and sigh. "Great, now I'm interupting us." He takes my hand and walks me to the kitchen to fix me something to eat, which is pointless since I have no food. I don't cook, remember.

"It looks like I'm going to go out to get you dinner." he realizes while looking through my empty fridge and cupboards. "What are you in the mood for?" he asks. I give him a sexy smile letting him know exactly what I'm in the mood for, him. "I mean food wise." he clarifies. I think for a second before responding.

"Ooh, one of those big chicken burritos from the tacoria around the corner. Tell them you want the Hathaway special. They'll know what you mean." These things are sooo good. They're huge and full of grilled chicken, rice, beans, guacomole, sour cream and salsa. Normally two people can share one, but I can finish it alone no problem. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

"Are you going to be alright here by yourself while I'm gone?" he asks seriously. I roll my eyes at him and shake my head.

"What kind of trouble do you think I'm going to get into?" I can take care of myself. He kisses my nose and heads for the door.

"Get yourself comfortable on the couch and pick out a movie to watch when I get back. Love you." he says as he leaves.

"Love you too." I yell back.

I pick out a movie to watch, The Hangover, because I could really do with some humor, and settle myself in to the couch. Just as I get comfortable, there's a knock at the door. "Son of a bitch." I mutter. I reluctantly get off the couch and open the door to see Emily standing there. "What do you want?" it came out a little harsher than intended, but oh well.

"I'm looking for Adrian. He wasn't at work today and he isn't at his apartment. So I figured he's probably over here, with you." she spits the last two words out with as much venom as possible. Someone's not too happy, hehehe.

"He's not here at the moment. He's getting us dinner. I'll let him know you were looking for him though." I say as sweetly as I can. She steps closer to me with an evil grin on her face.

"I know about the two of you." she whispers. "I bet you think he loves you and that you're special, but that's what they all think. It's quite sad, really. He'll tire of you soon enough and leave, finding another bloodwhore to satsify him." The anger inside me explodes and before I know it, my fist strikes out and makes contact with her face, knocking her on her ass. I look down and see her eye is already swollen and she's unconscious. That felt so good. Then reality hits me. Oh shit! I just punched out a royal Moroi. I am so screwed. I look around to see if anybody saw what I just did, but thankfully, no one is nearby. I pick her up by the shoulders and drag her into my apartment. I even manage to corral the stupid dog inside too. I lay her on the couch and start pacing the floor.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit." I repeat over and over again. I grab my phone to call Adrian, but I hear his phone ringing on the floor. He forgot to bring it with him. I try to calm myself down by taking deep breaths. It'll be okay. Adrian can heal her and compell her to forget and no one has to know. Ugh, what is taking him so long?

"Honey, I'm home." I hear him call as he enters the room. Oh thank god. He walks in and sees a motionless Emily sprawled out on the sofa and gasps. "What did you do?" he asks pointing to her.

"What does it look like? I knocked her out, but she was asking for it. She came here looking for you and started talking shit about how you were going to move on to another bloodwhore when you were tired of me and I just hit her." I'm breathing heavy, anger still alive inside me, remembering what she said. He walks over to me and pulls me into him and rubs my back, trying to calm me down.

"It's going to be fine. She did deserve it, but I can fix it." I nod my head. He kneels down next to her and touches her eye as I watch it return to normal. I let out a big breath of air knowing that any evidence of my lack of control is gone. She opens her eyes when Adrian is done healing her. She sits up and looks around, confused as to where she is. I see realization hit her as she jumps up and starts yelling.

"You are so going to pay for that, you bitch! I'm going to see to it that you are stripped of your guardian title and sent to jail for a very long time." she fumes. Adrian takes her shoulders in his hands and turns her to face him.

"You never came to Rose's apartment today. You never saw Rose and she never touched you. Do you understand?" he says calmly, compelling her.

"Yes." she says, her eyes glazed over. He leads her to the front door and out to the walkway.

"Now, go to you apartment and relax." he says as he gives her a little nudge in the right direction. She nods her head and starts walking away. He comes back in and I rush to him and jump into his arms.

"Thank you so much. She knows just what buttons to push to provoke me, and the darkness I took from Lissa this afternoon didn't help." I tell him.

"I know, Rose. It's okay now. She won't remember anything and she'll be back to her old bitchy self in no time. You need to relax though. This can't be good for you." He leads me to the couch and sits me down. He hands me my monster burrito and soda and takes the seat next to me after turning on the movie.

"You aren't dissappointed in me for losing my temper and cold cocking her, are you?" I ask, nervous of his answer. He turns to face me, seriousness all over his face.

"Yes, actually, I'm very dissappointed. I wish I could have been here to see that." He smiles, letting me know he's not mad. I try to relax and enjoy the movie, but what I did keeps running in the back of my mind. Part of me is disappointed in myself for losing my temper so easily, but the other part is doing a little happy dance for doing what I've been wanting to do since the day I met her, punching her lights out.

After we both finish our food, we cuddle up together and laugh our asses off watching the movie. I feel so much better by the end of it. I try to suppess the yawn welling up inside me, but to no avail. Adrian takes my hand and leads me to my bedroom to get ready for bed. I grab my pj's and walk to the bathroom to change and brush my teeth. He joins me at he sink after he's undressed, wearing only his sexy silk black boxers, and cleans his teeth too. We climb into bed and snuggle up next to each other. I love how he makes me feel so safe and protected in his arms, especially since that's my job. His kisses my lips tenderly, and then my nose and forehead and pulls me in closer. I rest my head on his chest, listening to the wonderful thumping of his heart. "Sleep tight, Little Dhampir. I love you." he whispers.

"I love you too." I manage to get out, already half asleep. I hope tomorrow goes a little smoother than today did, ballroom dance lessons with Conner. Oh boy!

**I hope you all enjoyed reading that as much as I did writing it. Review and let me know what you think.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Je ne possede pas l'Academia de Vampire.**

**Rose POV**

Okay, ballroom dance lessons. What do I wear for ballroom dance lessons? Conner said to wear heals, so I guess that means I wear a dress. Hmm, I don't really have too many dresses anymore since I don't have any reason to wear one. I take out the black dress I wore the night Viktor kidnapped Lissa, but that seems too clubbish, if that's a word. The dress Tasha bought me two years ago is too tight for ballroom dancing. Let's see, sundress, no. The blue one, too revealing. I'll save that one for homework with Adrian tonight. I keep pulling clothes out of my closet and throwing them all over my room, not finding anything decent to wear. Oh, fuck it, I'll just wear jeans and bring the damn heals. I finish getting dressed in my most comfortable jeans and v-neck tshirt with my sneakers and quickly put my hair up in a pony tail since I spent too much time going through my closet to do anything else with it. Adrian is still sleeping soundly in my bed, lightly snoring. He looks so peaceful, I hate to wake him up, but I want to say goodbye before I leave. I lean over him and gently kiss his lips, since I know he likes it when I wake him up like that. It doesn't take long for him to respond. His hand glides up my arm to my neck, where he pulls me in closer to deepen the kiss. Part of me is telling me to ditch Conner and stay here with Adrian. But the more responsible side is telling me Conner is my friend, who is doing me a favor and I should keep my promise to him. Responsibility won. I pull away and take his hand and free myself from his clutches, although reluctantly.

"Good morning, babe. I have to go to dance class now. Don't forget to get up in time for work. I'll see you later." He groans for his response and I quickly kiss him again before he can grab ahold of me and keep me here. He manages to open his eyes and looks me over.

"Is that what you're wearing to ballroom dance in?" he asks half asleep. I resist the urge to yank his pillow out from under him and beat him with it.

"I'm sorry if I don't have Ginger Rogers wardrobe, but this will have to do. It's only lessons, anyway."

"Well, have fun and be safe. Come get me for lunch, okay?" he says rolling over. I smile as he grabs my pillow and cuddles up to it like a little kid with his favorite toy.

I walk out to the parking lot where Conner said to meet him. I spot him leaning against a motorcycle and my heartbeat starts to race. Oh please tell me we're riding that.

"Cool bike. Yours?" I ask trying to hide my excitement.

"Yep. You ever ridden one?"

"No, I always wanted to though."

"You're going to love it." he says stepping closer to me, looking me in the eyes with a smirk on his face. "You're legs wrapped around me while you feel the power pulsating underneath you. There really is nothing like it." I take a step back and smile.

"Well, considering it's the only way you'll ever get between my legs, you better enjoy it." His face fell and I laugh. He recovers quickly and hands me a helmet, which I quickly put on. "I don't suppose you'll let me drive?" he gives me a look that says I'm must be crazy and gets on. I hop on behind me and hold on to him tight. This is going to be so fun.

I don't think I stop smiling the whole way there. I love the feel of the wind on my face and when he would accelerate suddenly, making me tighten my grip on him. Cheeky devil. We get to the dance school and park the bike. When I get off, I can still feel the vibrations going through me, and I like it. I'm going to have to talk to Adrian about getting one of these. "So, did you like your first ride?" he knowingly asks.

"Hell yeah! I can't wait to drive back." He looks over at me and shakes his head. He walks on ahead of me while I try to fix my hair using his little side mirrors. Once I think I look good enough, I walk in the room and see that some people have already arrived. I walk to the middle of the room and put my hands on my hips and look around. All the girls are wearing dresses or skirts with their heals. I'm the only one in pants, but since when did I do anything like the crowd. I pull the shoes I brought out of my bag and go sit in a chair to put them on. I see a couple young girls flirting with Conner across the room and he looks like he's really enjoying the attention. An evil grin spreads across my face as I think about having a little fun with him. I walk up behind him and put my arms around his waist. I stand on my tippy toes and kiss him on his neck seductively. I run my hands up his chest and I can feel him tremble under my touch. I didn't know I could have this effect on him. The two girls he's talking to are looking at me wide eyed. I stop kissing his neck and look over at them, faking embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I guess I should introduce myself." I remove myself from his back and move to face him, putting my hand out to him. "My name's Rose. Sorry about that. You just looked so yummy, I couldn't help myself." He shakes my hand and gives me a 'what the hell are you doing?' look because I apparently rendered him speechless. I turn to the girls and smile. "I call dibs on..." I look at Conner's shocked face. "I'm sorry, what's your name?" The girls quietly turn around and walk away whispering between themselves. I can't help but laugh out loud at Conners face.

"What was that about? Jealous I was talking to someone else?" he asks with a smirk.

"Pu-leez. I was helping you. You aren't really considering dating humans, are you? That can be a bit messy considering they don't know you're half vampire." I whisper the last part, not wanting to reveal our secret.

"Whatever, Rose. You know you've been wanting to man handle me since you got to Court. Just admit it." I'm about to give him a standard Rose Hathaway remark, when the teacher calls for our attention. She's a tall, beautiful woman, looking to be in her late twenties. Blond hair and blue eyes and a smile that shows all her perfect teeth.

"Okay class, let's get started. My name is Mandy for all the newcomers. Today we're going to be doing the Waltz. Everybody find a partner." I stand next to Conner and glare at any girl that dared come up to him. It's not that I'm jealous, of course. I just don't want to have to dance with anyone else. Besides, he wanted me to come, he's going to dance with me. As it is, a couple brave souls come up to me and ask me to dance, which I politely refuse.

Mandy shows us how to position our hands and Conner gets a little too excited when he puts his hand on the small of my back and pulls me up against him. "I think I can get used to this." he says with a shit eating grin. I try to put a little space between us, but he stays firm. Just for that, when we start doing the steps, I make sure to step on his toes as much as possible. "Damn, Rose. For someone who is so graceful when she fights, you suck at this. Owe!" he yells, hopping up and down on one foot.

"Oops. My bad." I decide to give his feet a break and do the steps correctly. We actually do pretty well, if I do say so myself. So good in fact, Mandy pulls us up to the front to demonstrate in front of the whole class, only she seperates us and dances with Conner herself. She asks for a volunteer to dance with me, and about half of the guys in the class run up to be chosen. I choose the guy who looks to be about Adrians height and build and get into position. He puts his hand a little too close to my ass for my liking, so I move it back up and lean in to whisper to him. "If you would like that hand to remain attached to your wrist, I suggest you keep it off my ass." I must sound pretty serious, because I can hear him swallow and feel his hand move further up my back. We introduce ourselves and I find out his name is Dean. We start dancing and he's pretty good. I give him a smile to let him know he can relax a little, which he does. When the music stops, he pulls away but keeps ahold of my hand and bows to me.

"Thank you for the dance, Rose." he says then kisses my hand. He's a nice guy. I kinda feel bad about threatening him now.

"Your welcome, Dean." I smile. Our first class is over and I had a pretty good time. I can't wait to go home and practice with Adrian. It's dark now as we walk outside, but since we don't have any Moroi with us, I let my guard down a bit. I still stay alert watching the humans and making sure they all make it to their cars alright. The building our class is in is next to a honkey tonk bar that already has some drunk rednecks in the parking lot. The two girls that were flirting with Conner earlier seem to have unknowingly gotten the attention of a couple of drunks who are eyeing them intently. I don't like this. One of the rednecks starts to stagger over towards the girls, calling out to them.

"Hey ladies. How would you like to c-come in for a drink and dance with me and my fr-friend here." he stumbles. The poor girls look terrified as they hurry to get into their car. I quicken my pace as I see the other one join his friend and start walking toward the them. I stop so that I'm in between the drunks and the girls and face them, arms crossed over my chest. I turn my head to speak to the girls.

"Get in your car and go. I'll take care of them." They look a little hesitant to leave me, but they look over to Conner who nods his head to them and they take off. The only ones left from our dance class is Dean and his friends, who are leaning against their car, watching the scene unfold. "Sorry guys. Looks like you're going to have to dance with each other now." The first one starts circling me while looking me up and down, checking me out, with a stupid grin on his face.

"Aren't you a pretty one. How about you let me buy you a drink and we can get to know each other better?" I can smell the booze wafting off of him to me, and I think I'm getting a buzz just from the fumes.

"Not in this lifetime." I turn away from them to walk back to Conner when redneck one grabs my arm and pulls me to him.

"I don't think you heard me correctly. I want to buy you a drink." he says right in my face. His breath is so bad, I want to hurl. Then I feel the hand that isn't gripping my arm go straight to my ass. "Then we can get to know each other better." He says with a squeeze. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Dean move away from his car and start running toward me. Conner stops him just in time as my fist makes contact with this jerks jaw. He immediately goes down with a thud. His friend, redneck two, calls me a bitch and lunges toward me. It only takes a kick to the chest and a punch in the nose to bring him down too. Part of me wants them to get back up so I can do some more damage to them, but they just lay in the gravel and bitch and moan about their injuries.

I walk back over to Conner and Dean while rubbing my arm where he was holding it. Dean looks shocked as his gaze shifted from me to the two drunken idiots sitting around on the ground. "Wow." is all he can say. Conner and I both laugh as we walk him back to his friends, who all share the same expression as Dean.

"Alright, shows over. Why don't you all go home and we'll see you tomorrow mor-uh, night in class." I watch as their car drives away, leaving Conner and me alone. "Well, that was fun. You sure know how to show a girl a good time." I tease.

"What's a date without a good bar fight." he says getting on the motorcycle. I hop on and put on my helmet.

"Hey, do me a favor and let's not mention this to Adrian. I'm not supposed to be fighting, remember? He'll freak if he finds out." Technically, I'm not supposed to get hit, which I didn't, but I don't think Adrian will see it that way.

"My lips are sealed, Hathaway." he shouts back to me. I put my arms around his torso, readying myself for him to accelerate, when I feel that all too familiar feeling in my gut. Strigoi. I tap his helmet to get his attention, when he turns on his headlight and I see a familiar red eyed figure staring back at me about fifty feet away. Ahh, hell.

**Just a bit of a cliffie there. Thanks for reading don't forget to review and let me know what you think. **


	21. Chapter 21

**I'd like to give a big THANK YOU to all my wonderful reviewers. You rock! **

**Enjoy the chaper.**

**Ich besitze nicht Vampirakademie. (I don't own Vampire Academy.)**

**Rose POV**

"Ahh, my pretty Dhampir, what a wonderful surprise to see you tonight. I have been thinking about you since our last encounter." says the charming but deadly Strigoi with the inticing Italian accent. Conner and I get off the motorcycle quickly and get ready to fight. I look around me, trying to see if any other Strigoi are laying in wait to pounce, but he seems to be alone. "I've waited so long to see you again. You're even more beautiful than you were in your last life." he continues. Umm, what the hell is this lunatic talking about?

"Yeah, I get that all the time." sarcasm dripping off every word. I'm standing in a ready position facing the Italian while Conner is behind me, surveying the rest of the area for other threats. The Strigoi chuckles as he slowly walks toward us.

"You still have that fire in you. I suppose that will never go away, no matter how many lifetimes you live through. It's one of the qualities that made me fall in love with you in the first place." I guess Strigoi are prone to insanity, because this guy is mad as a hatter. Only one Strigoi comes to mind that would be this crazy.

"What do you want, Stephan?" I growl. He looks surprised that I figured out who he is already.

"You remember me, don't you my love?" he looks hopeful.

"No, sorry. All I know is there's a crazy Strigoi after my charge for something his ancestor did. Right now, your talk about past lives sounds crazy so I figure you must be him." I shrug like it's so obvious. By the scowl on his face, I don't think he appreciates my explanation. He starts walking back and forth, like a caged panther, never taking his eyes off me.

"It's not what his ancestor did that will lead to his death. It's what _you_ did." his voice has become menacing and his red eyes look full of rage as he stops in his tracks and points a pale, bony finger in my direction. I don't want to let him know that he's beginning to scare the crap out of me, so I do what I always do, cover it up with attitude.

"Sorry, _so_ not following you."

"You were mine." he says possesively. "Back when I was Moroi, you were _my_ guardian."

"I'm guessing I fucked up considering your state of being now."

"We were in love, you and I. That is until _he_, my so called best friend, came and stole you from me. You were with him when I and my other guardians were attacked. You were the best, something that has remained a constant throughout your many lives. You should have protected me, but he took you from me and you both betrayed me." he says. I guess I have a history of falling for my charges.

"Hey, I'm sorry you weren't enough to keep your woman satisfied, but it has nothing to do with Adrian and me. But I'll tell you what I'm going to do for you. I'm going to kill you and free your soul." Apparently I'm also a commedian because he starts laughing, hard. I slowly creep up closer to him so I can get a better chance at staking his heart.

"Oh my love, you say that every time, but it always ends the same, with your and your lover's death." he sounds amused. "Every lifetime, you two find each other, Moroi and his guardian, fall in love and die together. But I think this time, my love, I might spare your life. But he still must die." He looks at me intently as he steps forward. I resist the urge to take a step back, gripping my stake tight as I wait for the perfect opportunity to plunge it into his cold dead heart. From my right, I hear footsteps crunching on the gravel, coming up to us quickly. I steal a quick glance to see two Strigoi walking towards Conner and me. By the time I look back to Stephan, he is inches away from my face. Man, he's fast. With him this close, I can see his features more clearly. He is very handsome, if you take away the red eyes and deathly pale skin. I can see why I might have fallen for him in a past life. But, according to him, Adrian was who I truly loved many lifetimes over, and still do. I raise my stake to end his life only to have it stopped by his grasp. He grabs my other arm and holds it to my side as he leans in to whisper in my ear. "You're much too beautiful to waste." Fear momentarily paralyzes me when he leans down and lets his teeth graze against the skin on my neck. My breathing hitches and my heart races having him so close. I close my eyes and prepare myself for the inevitable bite, only to feel him place a tender kiss over my pulsing artery. He pulls away while inhaling the scent of my skin deeply. "So sweet." he whispers. He's toying with me, which pisses me off. I regain my composure and lean away from him.

"Conner, I say let's kill this delusional bastard." I yell as I kick out and hit Stephan in the knee. He releases his grip on me and backs away quickly before I can strike out. The two Strigoi that were standing to the side, jump in and attack both of us. They look like they were guardians before they were turned, so their fighting skills are pretty good. Too bad for them, I'm better. I take mine down in a matter of minutes, but not before suffering some good punches to the face and gut. I go over to help Conner after I hear him scream in pain. The Strigoi broke him arm so badly I can see bone poking through the skin. I go in between them and take over for Conner. This one is really good. I manage to rake my stake across his chest, causing him great pain and a huge gash. It's enough to distract him so I can stake his heart. I look to where Stephan was standing and I see him slowly clapping with a smile on his face.

"I always enjoy watching you fight, but this time, you're so much better. You're truly a wonderous sight." The way he is looking at me with what looks like lust in his eyes sends chills down my spine.

"Then why don't you fight me yourself instead of sending you're now dead friends to do it? Afraid that I'll actually kill you this time?" I say through heavy breaths. I'm so sick of his little games that I just want to get this over with. What better time than now with Adrian safely behind the wards at Court. Feeling bold, I start walking toward him. He doesn't make a move, allowing me to get closer. Finally when I'm only a couple feet away, I attack. He isn't fighting back, staying on defense, blocking my blows.

"I must say, you're the best guardian I've fought in all my two hundred years." he says while fighting. "That's how I always find you, you know. It doesn't take long for word to spread of a guardian who is as deadly as she is beautiful. I always know that it is you and the two of you are together." His talking is causing my anger to spike, which I use to change my fighting style, causing him momentary confusion. During his lapse, I stab his chest, unfortunately missing his heart. He lets out a scream as he looks down to my stake as I pull it out of his body to strike again. Only this time he evades my thrust. He growls at me as he covers his wound with his hands. I move to strike again but he takes off with lightening speed away from me.

I don't even bother trying to catch him since he's much too fast for me. I turn around to see Conner sitting on the ground, cradling his broken arm in his lap. I don't know if Stephan is going to come back with reinforcements, but I don't plan on sticking around to find out. I rush over to my friend and help him stand up. "We need to get out of here, now." I help him get on the back of the bike and put his helmet on him. I do the same and get on, trying to figure out how to start this thing. I find the key, already in the ignition and turn it, bringing the bike to life. Conner shows me what to do next and how to go and stop. As I take off, it's a little jerky, but eventually I manage to pick up speed and get us back to Court.

I drive us straight to the Court hospital to get Conner fixed up. "No offense, but I don't think I want to take ballroom dance lessons with you anymore." he jokes as he sits on the bed waiting for the doctor to come in. "Too dangerous." I bump him in the shoulder for that remark causing him to wince in pain.

"Oh, sorry. Do you need me to stay and hold your hand, or can I take off? I need to see the Queen about what happened this morning."

"I think I can handle it. You go on." he says, shooing me out with his good hand. I take off and head right for the Queens office. I get to her secretary's desk and she does a double take when she sees me. I must look pretty bad, but I could care less right now.

"I need to speak with the Queen. Now." I say with urgency. She nods her head and picks up her phone to talk to whoever. I pace back and forth in front of her desk replaying everything Stephan told me over and over. Finally, I'm let into her parlor to speak to Tatiana. She walks in and quickens her pace when she sees me.

"What happened?" she asks.

"Well, I met Stephan in the next town over and he told me some pretty interesting things. Do you know the real reason he's after Adrian?" She looks at me puzzled and I can't tell if she kept the truth from me or if she never knew the real reason either.

"He wants to kill Adrian. What more is there to know?"

"Maybe the reason is because Stephan thinks Adrian and I are reincarnated from his guardian he was in love with and the Ivashkov that stole her away from him. He hasn't just been hunting the Ivashkov family, but the souls of those two people he believes are responsible for his being turned and betraying him." She looks genuinly surprised by this news. She sits down on in her chair and thinks quietly to herself. She looks back over to me and takes in my ragged and bloody appearrance.

"I don't supposed you killed him?" she asks. I stare at her and raise my arms over my head in exasperation.

"Do I look like I killed him? If he was dead, I'd be doing my little happy dance all over this freakin' place." I let out a big breath and continue. "I did fight with him and he's going to be very hard to kill. He's strong and fast, but I did manage to stake him, but I missed his heart." I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes as I think about how close I was to ending all this madness. I plop myself down in the chair across from her and rest my head in my hands and my elbows on my knees, trying to calm myself down before I loose it.

"Rose, dear, why don't you get yourself cleaned up. I'll let you know what the next plan of action is as soon as we figure it out. Get some rest." She says while she gently places a hand on my head. I look up to her and nod. I walk back to my room thinking about how Adrian is going to react, and I'm pretty sure my dance lessons are officially over.

**Well, what do you think of Stephan? Review and let me know.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Thanks again to all the wonderful reviewers. You're the bomb!**

**I don't own Vampire Academy or its characters, just the plot and a few extras.**

**Adrian POV**

Ugh, I don't want to wake up. I love Rose's bed, it smells so good, just like her. I look over to her poor beat up alarm clock that's covered with duck tape to keep it together. Rose isn't really a morning person. It's about time for me to get my butt out of bed and get ready for work. As I walk to the bathroom to shower I wonder if a tornado came through, because most of her clothes are all over the floor. There's even a floral skirt hanging from the chandelier. Oh Rose. I jump up and grab the skirt and hang it back up in the closet, along with the other items laying around. I jump in the shower and become aware that Rose has a lot of girlie smelling products. Nothing that smells like a man should smell. Oh well, I guess I'm going to smell like Rose today, which is like heaven anyway. I pop the top off her shampoo and take a long whiff. Mmm, smells like coconut. This won't be too bad. When I'm all squeeky clean, I turn off the water and hop out. At least I remembered to bring my toothbrush and deordorant when I brought some clean clothes over. I get dressed and decide to make the bed to help Rose out since she's been through so much these last few days. I think that a date night is in order. Since she's learning how to dance, and obviously isn't happy with her selection of dancing clothes, I think I'll get her a new dress. I know she won't be comfortable going out for a romantic dinner, so I'll organize a nice private candle lit affair in my apartment tonight as a surprise for her. I can't wait.

I pull out my cell and call my guy. This is the guy I call for situations such as this. "Hey Roland, this is Adrian. How are you?"

"Good, Lord Ivashkov. How may I help you today?" he asks with a heavy french accent.

"Well Roland, I would like a dinner for two set up in my apartment. Candle light, champaigne, the works." Nothing is too much for my Rose.

"Sounds like you have a special lady to impress. What would you like on the menu?" Roland is the best at making the night special and I have total faith in him that Rose will love this.

"Yes, Roland, she is very special. So I would like something simple, but elegant. No sweetbread or caviar, she's doesn't go for that kind of stuff, if you know what I mean." I remember her reaction at the ski lodge at the different hor d'oeuvres they served. 'Rich people suck' is what she said. I love how she just speaks her mind without appologies.

"I understand. Tonight will be perfect for you and your lady, Lord Ivashkov. Trust Roland."

"I do. That's why I called you. Thanks for your help." I hang up with Roland and walk to one of the dress shops here at Court to find the perfect dress for Rose to wear to dance with me. I don't bother searching through the racks like women do. I go straight to the one in charge and tell them what I'm looking for. It saves a lot of time. The lady I spoke to brings out five dresses for me to choose from. One catches my attention right away. It's red, low cut with thin straps, form fitting to the hip and then flowy to the knee. It's perfect for dancing and will look wonderful against her skin tone. I tell her the size and have them gift wrap it and deliver it to her room. I can't wait to see her in that dress and hold her in my arms as I dip and spin her around the room.

Walking into the meeting room for the Offensive Magic Committee, I see Emily sitting down in her usual spot waiting for me. The memory of seeing Rose laying motionless in that hospital bed flashes back to me when I see her look over to me. Rage starts to grow inside me knowing that I could've lost Rose because she turned off my phone to keep me away from her. And then what she said to Rose last night, I feel my fists tighten at my sides. I haven't had anything to drink or smoke since I healed Rose and Emily and I think the darkness is starting to grow. I need to find a healthier way to get rid of the darkness. I can't sit next to her feeling like this. I take a seat in the back of the room and see her looking at me with a pissed off expression. What does she have to be mad at? She does nothing but cause trouble. I am so done with her. I know Rose wants to teach her a lesson and humiliate her, but if I have to spend one more minute alone with her, I'll punch her myself.

All throughout the meeting, I feel her gaze upon me. A couple times I look right at her a send her my best glare, which she quickly turns away from. Finally, the meeting is ended and I try to get out before Emily has a chance to corner me, but no luck. Stupid Derek is standing in the doorway talking to someone, making it difficult to make a quick getaway. "Adrian, I didn't see you yesterday. How is Rose doing?" she asks with false sincerity. Why can't she just take the hint and leave me alone?

"She's much better. Thank you for asking. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm supposed to find her for lunch." I say as I push my way through the door to look for Rose. I hear the sound of heals hitting the tile floor behind me. I don't have to look back to know who it is.

"Adrian, if you think you can brush me off for some bloodwhore, you're sadly mistaken." she yells after me. I immediately stop in my tracks, letting her catch up. I turn to face her, anger clearly on my face causing her to flinch when she sees me.

"You will never call Rose a bloodwhore again. You will show her nothing but respect and gratitude. The next time you start to insult Rose or any of my friends, you will instead bark like a dog. Do you understand?" I tell her in a calm, smooth voice. I don't even realize what I'm doing until it's done. I just used compulsion on her, again. At least no one is around to see it.

"Yes, I understand." she says with that all too familiar glaze in her eyes. She nods her head as she walks away from me. I stand and watch her as she leaves, pleased with myself.

"Smooth, but I would've made her cluck like a chicken." Rose's voice behind me makes me jump about ten feet off the ground. I spin around and see her smiling at me.

"Rose, you scared the sh...What the hell happened to you?" I yell as I notice the huge bruise and cuts on her face. Can't she go anywhere without trouble finding her?

"Dance class was a lot tougher than I thought it would be." she laughs. I take her face in my hands to get a closer look at the damage. I gently run my thumb over her cheek taking in every little cut and blemish. I look in her eyes and see that she is studying me intently. I give her a look, asking permission to heal her injury and she nods. I find my magic within me and push it to my fingertips and to her delicate face and watch as her skin returns to its normal color and smoothness.

"Anywhere else?" I ask. She takes my hand that is still touching her face and runs it along her body; over her neck, over her breast, which elicits a reaction in my body, along her stomach and stopping at her side, right above her hip. I pull her shirt up enough to see a red mark on her skin. She winces at my touch before I heal it.

"Thank you." she whispers just inches from my lips. I close the distance between us and place a chaste kiss upon her lips. I take her hand in mine and lead her out of the building to take her to lunch. I see a couple people walking towards us and Rose pulls her hand out of mine, not wanting them to know about our relationship. I resist the urge to take her hand back since I know Rose isn't ready to let the world in on our little secret.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" I ask as we walk our way to the cafe.

"Conner and I ran into a couple Strigoi when we were leaving class. Thankfully no one else was around to see us kill them, well, me kill them. One got Conner pretty good and broke his arm." she says like it's no big deal. Of course, with as many kills as she has, I think the number is in the sixties now, it's second nature to kill them.

"How many were there?"

"Three. The last one got away when I missed his heart." She looks frustrated with herself when she mentions the one that got away. If I know Rose, she'll be in the gym this afternoon working on staking the dummies.

"Maybe you shouldn't go back to class for a while. Remember what the doctor said." I expect to get an arguement from her, but I don't.

"Your right. I need to make sure I'm a hundred percent well before I go out of the wards again." she says like her mind's on something else.

"Is there anything else wrong? I get the feeling there's more you aren't telling me." I know she has some secret she's been keeping from me and I wonder if this attack has something to do with it.

"Uh, no. Just your typical attack. I'm just disappointed I didn't kill the third one when I had the chance." I still don't believe her.

"Rose, I know you're hiding something. Just tell me already. I want to help." I persist.

"Adrian, there's really nothing to tell, so drop it." she pleads. We walk the rest of the way in silence. We sit down and order our food, still not talking. I can feel Rose staring at me, like she's trying to see inside my head. Thinking about how she's being so evasive about what's bothering her, and her constant gaze is aggitating me. I can't help but figit in my seat and tap my spoon on the table. I see Rose start glaring at me trying to get me to stop, but that just makes me do it louder. I know it's just the darkness getting to me, but I can't help it. "Adrian, if you don't stop with the banging, I'm going to.." I interupt her.

"Do what Rose? Hit me? Kick me? Violence is always the answer for you, isn't it? Don't like what someone says to you and you punch them. Then I have to come clean up your mess. When are you going to grow up Rose?" When I see the shocked and hurt look on her face, I immediately regret everything I said. "Rose, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I..." she stands up from her seat and leaves without saying a word. Real good Ivashkov. I'm going to pay for that.

The waitress comes over with our food and I figure that I'll let Rose cool off while I eat my lunch. Ten minutes later she returns, slamming a drink of what looks like vodka down on the table in front of me. She also has a brown paper bag in her hand as she takes her seat across from me and begins to eat her lunch. "What's this?" I ask, even though it's obvious.

"The darkness is making you act like an asshole, so I got you a drink. Bottoms up." she says while taking a bite of her chicken salad. What would I do without her? I pick the glass up and quickly drink it empty. As I feel the alcohol run down my throat, I can feel the darkness begin to fade. She motions for me to hand her the glass, which I do, and she refills it with the bottle in the bag. I don't want to get drunk since I still have a few more hours of work ahead, but this is definitely helping.

After lunch, Rose walks me back to my office. "Thanks for helping me out back there. You know I didn't mean what I said, it was the darkness talking." I say as we stand in the doorway, holding her hands in mine. She tries to raise one eyebrow up like Dimitri does, but fails miserably. I'll never tell her though.

"Don't blame the darkness, Adrian. You meant what you said, and you're right. I do have a short temper, but you knew that when you fell in love with me, so stop complaining." she smiles and reaches up and gives me a peck on my lips.

"I have a surprise for you tonight. I'll come over to your place at six." My heart feels like it's about to fly our of my chest when her face lights up at the mention of my surprise.

"Sounds good. What should I wear for tonight?"

"That's already taken care of. You'll see when you get home." I can tell the suspense is getting to her, but she doesn't press it.

"Alright. I'm going to the gym to work out and get in some extra staking practice." I knew she would. We indulge ourselves in another kiss and go our seperate ways.

Roland worked his magic on my apartment today. It looks fabulous. Now to get Rose. I show up at her door wearing black slacks and a red button down shirt to match her dress. Cheesy, I know. I knock on her door and eagerly await to see her in the dress, When she opens the door, I think my jaw hit the floor. She sure doesn't disappoint. She looks amazing. She has her hair up in a loose bun with a few curls hanging down around her face and just enough make up to accentuate her already breathtaking features. "The dress is beautiful, Adrian. Thank you. And for cleaning my room. You didn't have to do that. I would've gotten to it eventually." she says while linking her arm in mine as we walk over to my apartment.

"It was my pleasure." I open my door and I hear her gasp when she sees every flat surface covered with lit candles and red roses. Roland really outdid himself. The dining table is decorated with a red linen table cloth, plates with silver domes, a tall red tapered candle and roses. We lift off the domes to reveal a prime rib dinner for two. We ate and drank and talked and laughed.

"Why don't you show me what you learned in dance class this morning." I ask as I hold out my hand for her. I turn on the music and hold her in my arms.

"Well, we learned the waltz. Do you have any music for that?" Hmm, a waltz. I change the music and we start dancing. She's actually really good for having only one lesson. One of these days I'll be able to take her out dancing so I can show her off to the world that she's mine. We end up dancing all night long, just holding each other close.

**I hope you liked that chapter. It was fun to write. Review and let me know your thoughts.**


	23. Chapter 23

**I don't own Vampire Academy, just the awesome plot.**

**Rose POV**

This past week has been pretty great. The romantic date Adrian surprised me with was absolutely perfect. I don't know how he does it, but I keep falling more and more in love with him every day. We've had dinner together every night, either at his place or mine. I even made spaghetti for us one night, and it was good. Of course, how can I really mess up opening a can of spaghetti sauce and boiling pasta? Last night, we were talking about the the darkness he deals with from healing me so much lately. He doesn't want to drink and smoke so much since I don't particularly care for it. So we came up with some alternative methods for dealing with this problem.

The first idea was meditation. So after dinner, we both sat cross legged on the floor, facing each other and tried to relax and focus on our breathing like the article on the internet said. It seemed to be taking too long to make any difference, so we thought we should try idea two, fighting. So now, after he got off work, he's meeting me at the gym. "Okay Adrian, this is how I deal with the darkness I get from Lissa best, hitting the old puching bag." I say as I tap the big bag next to me. I show him how to position his hands and body for a more effective hit. He catches on real quick. I can't help the grin that spreads across my face as I watch his muscles flex and the sweat shimmer all over his skin. He looks hot! I don't even notice when he stops punching and stands there with a smirk on his face as he watches me watching him.

"See something you like Little Dhampir?" That snaps me out of my trance and I can feel the blood rushing to my cheeks. It actually takes me a few seconds to compose myself after being caught.

"Uh, yeah, well what's not to like?" I stammer. He lets out a small laugh and continues hitting the bag. How embarrassing. I work on the punching bag next to him, trying to concentrate on what I'm doing and not the sexy man next to me.

"Yo, Hathaway." I hear Conner yell from across the room. Both Adrian and I stop what we're doing and watch him walk his way over to us. "What's going on?" he asks looking back and forth between us.

"We're performing brain surgery. What does it look like?" I roll my eyes. "I'm helping him release the darkness through physical activity. He's really good too. I might be out of a job at the rate he's going." I say giving Adrian a big smile. He puts his arm around my shoulder and squeezes, kissing the top of my head.

"You're irreplaceable Little Dhampir." I give a playful punch to the ribs and straighten up since we're in a room full of guardians that don't know about us yet. Of course, We've always kinda acted this way, so no one thinks any different of our behavior. I just then notice that Conner isn't wearing his cast. I look over to Adrian, pointing to Conner's once broken arm. He shrugs as we look to Conner for an explanation.

"Princess Dragomir heard of my injury and healed it for me this morning. It's still a little stiff from not using it for almost a week, but it won't take long to get it up to speed." he says while flexing and rolling his arm.

"Hey, so how's it going with flirting with Emily? Is she under your spell yet?" I ask since I haven't had a chance to check with him to see how our plan is coming along. The pissed off look on his face isn't giving me hope that we're making progress.

"Yeah, about that. I don't think I'll be able to help you. If I get too close to her, I'll end up in jail for knocking her senseless." I hear ya. Adrian laughs next to me. We all know that feeling all too well.

"What did she do now?" I know something must have happened for laid back Conner to be this bitter toward someone. Of course, Emily seems to have that effect on people.

"I was talking to Mary" he starts, but stops when Adrian gives him a puzzled look. "Guardian Jenkins."

"Right, right. Sorry, please continue." Adrian says.

"Well, we were talking and discovered that we both have the same day off next week, so I asked her if she wanted to go out for dinner." Oh my goodness, this is so great. Conner is a great guy who deserves to find someone special. And from the few times I talked with Mary, she's perfect for him. "Lady Conta," he says with distaste. "overheard us and decided that she needs Mary to guard her that day for some shopping trip. When Mary reminded her that is was her day off, Conta went off on her about how guardians' sole purpose was to protect and serve Moroi, not socialize. She threatened to have Mary desanctioned if she didn't comply with her wishes. I swear, if I didn't turn around and walk out when I did, there would be a big Lady Conta stain on the ground where she was standing." he fumes. Yep, I'm all too familiar with that feeling.

"We need to teach her a lesson. Tomorrow night's her birthday dinner, right?" I ask Adrian, which he nods in reply. "Are you invited?" We avoid talking about her as much as possible, so I'm not sure what the status is on the dinner guests.

"Yes I am, along with Lissa and Christian. She's been trying to suck up to Lissa, since she's in line for the throne and all." Typical.

"Do you know who else is going to be there?"

"Her parents and some of her royal friends, all who have the same attitude she does." Why doesn't that surprise me? I stand there letting all the information swirl in my mind. Then an idea pops in my head.

"I think it's time we had a girl's night out." I say out loud to no one in particular.

"Me man. No girl." Adrian says like a caveman while pounding a fist his chest.

"Not you. I'm thinking I need to get Tasha, Lissa, Mia and me together for some fun at the bar and I'll have Lissa invite Emily too. We need to loosen her up a little, or a lot as the case may be. Then you," I point to Conner "and maybe Eddie can come by and do some heavy flirting. I'll have the camera to document it all and show it to her friends. She'll be so embarrassed. Conner cringes at the idea, but reluctantly comes around. Of course, I have a few other things planned to do to her tonight as well. This is going to be so much fun.

"Rose, are you sure this is going to work?" Mia asks a little worried. She doesn't know Emily like the rest of us do, but being a good friend, she wants to help.

"Of course it'll work. Did you bring the stuff?" I consider Mia my equal in getting revenge, so I ask her to dig into her bag of tricks to get back at Emily.

"Yeah. Let's see," she says looking through her bag. "One black marker, blue hair dye, one special tshirt, crazy glue, scissors, laxative and grapefruit juice. What's the juice for?"

"Oh, that's for Tasha since she can't drink, being pregnant and all. I don't want her to feel left out though, hence the grapefruit juice. Just as hard to swallow as tequilla." At least it is for me. We walk into the bar and see Tasha and Dimitri sitting at a big table, waiting for us.

"What are you doing here?" I ask Dimitri. "This is a girl's night out, and unless you have something to confess..?" He glares at my insinuation and turns to Tasha and kisses her cheek as he stands to leave.

"I'm going, I'm going. Try not to get into too much trouble." he says looking right at me. I put my hand over my heart and fake offense.

"Moi? Trouble? The very idea is perposterous." he rolls his eyes at me and crosses his arms over his chest. "Don't worry comrade, she'll be fine, see?" I hold up the juice for his inspection. He looks at me confused. "It's for Tasha. Her own virgin tequilla."

"It's not Tasha I'm worried about. If any of you need any help, call me." he says as he walks away. What a fuddy-duddy. I go see Sam at the bar and order a bottle of tequilla and five shot glasses. I put them in the middle of the table when I see Lissa come through the door with Emily and Spartacus behind her. She brought the dog? As they get to the table, Emily looks a little surprised to see me.

"Rose, it's so nice to see you. I didn't realize you would be here." She sits down next to Lissa and puts the dog on the seat next to me. It's starts growling at me immediately. Don't worry mutt, I've got a plan for you too. I fill the shot glasses and pass them around. Emily gives a puzzled look at Tasha's grapefruit shooter.

"She's pregnant, remember?" I tell her. Realization hits her.

"Oh right, the Dham..Ruff. Ruff." she barks. She puts her hand over her mouth, surprised that came out of her. Tasha, Lissa and Mia look at her like she just lost her mind, but start laughing after I loose it. I practically fall off my stool, I'm laughing so hard. When I finally calm down and wipe the tears from my eyes, I hold up my glass and the ladies follow.

"Over the lips and past the gums, look out stomach, here it comes." I toast as we all pound our drinks back, except Emily who sips hers. "Emily, that's not how you drink tequilla, now shoot it!" It's going to take all night to get her drunk at the pace she's going. She gives me a little glare and downs the content of her glass in one gulp. It causes her to cough, but she puts the shot glass down satisfied she did it. I fill up the glasses and we repeat this over and over again, getting more and more wasted. I make sure Emily's glass has more alcohol than the rest of us, to get her drunk faster. It works.

Emily is giggling at the stupid joke Lissa told her and swaying back and forth in her seat. I look over to Mia, letting her know it's time to unleash the pranks. I then look over to Lissa and give her the signal. "I've got to use the little girls room. Anyone wanna go with me? Emily?" Emily looks over to her and nods her head, still laughing at nothing. Tasha goes with them since her bladder can't hold what it used to. Mia tosses me the crazy glue and the blue dye. I grab the dog bag and open it up. Spartacus pops his little head out, but doesn't make a run for it. I open the dye bottle and squirt it on the dog making random patterns on his back. I also make a line on his head so it looks like he has a blue mohawk. I take the glue and put that all over the bag's zipper and then close it up. Don't worry, the ends of the bag is mesh so it can get some air. I take the two thousand dollar bag I just ruined and imprisoned her dog in and put it on the floor.

When the other girls get back from the bathroom, I see that Lissa has touched up Emily's make up, making her look like a drag queen. I use all my control to not laugh my head off when I see her. Oh man, this is so much fun. I pour out another round and we drink up. I finally see Conner and Eddie walk in and I wave them over. They each stand on either side of her and say hello. Eddie has to turn his head away quickly to swallow down the laughter that is rising in his throat when he sees her face. Conner is much better with his control, thank goodness. "Hello ladies, are you having a good time tonight?" Conner asks. I see Emily eyeing him up and down as he smiles that wonderful smile of his. Only Adrian's is better. And no, I'm not biased. It's a well known fact. Oh, sorry I'm rambling, I'm a little buzzed. Okay, back to Emily.

I look over to the dj and nod my head, giving him the signal to start the music. He puts on Baby got Back and Conner pulls Emily from her seat and to the dance floor. She starts to protest, but Lissa comes to the rescue by grabbing Eddie's hand and going out to dance too. Being the suck up Emily is, she follows Lissa. Show time. I grab the camera and start filming Emily bumping and grinding on the dance floor with Conner. Then it's an Emily sandwhich with Eddie and Conner on either side of her. She looks like she's having a ball, arms in the air, huge smile and her face. I even catch her reaching her arms around Eddie and grabbing his ass. After the song ends, they come staggering back to the table where I set up another round of drinks. Emily is getting better and better and downing the shots. Instead of drinking mine, I 'accidently' spill mine all over Emily's blouse. Silly me. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry. Don't worry, we have a spare we always bring. This sort of thing happens a lot." I tell her. Mia throws the shirt we brought especially for her and Lissa takes her to the bathroom to change. "What does the shirt say, Mia?" I haven't seen it yet, but knowing Mia, I'm sure it's good.

Lissa and Emily walk back out to hoots and hollars from the guys. They all have pretty much figured out what we're doing and are playing along. The shirt is white with 'Bloodwhore Wanna be' written on the front. I got some great footage of Emily dancing with a big group of burly guardians and a performance on Karaoke singing 'Like a Virgin'. Man, the girl can not sing. It's time for Conner to make his move, but I notice that she's been favoring Eddie all night. So I grab him and pull him aside. "Eddie, you have to take one for the team. She likes you. Take her into the hallway and play tonsil hockey with her." I'll admit, I'm getting really drunk, but I think he understands what I'm saying.

"Rose, you owe me big. Like, 'give me your first born' big." he says as he walks away from me and towards his target. A slow song comes on and he pulls her into him to dance, all the while shooting me dirty looks when he sees me. I can't help but laugh, and not just because I'm drunk now. I didn't even notice when Christian and Dimitri walked in until I see them dancing with Lissa and Tasha. Even Mia is dancing with Conner. I feel so lonely filming all by myself. I wish Adrian was here.

Finally, Eddie pulls Mia to a dark, quiet corner and I follow. What I see when I get there surprises me. She has him pinned up against the wall and is all over him. She's kissing him and telling him how she wants him to be her guardian and that she loves him. Jackpot! I turn off the camera, getting everything I need and hand it over to Christian. Back when we thought up this plan, Lissa called up Emily's family and friends to get some footage of her throughout her life to do a montage of her for her birthday. This footage will be a very eye opening addition to the video. I just wish I could be there to see her face. Now that the mission has been accomplished, and I'm not on duty tomorrow, I'm going to have a few more drinks.

**Dimitri POV**

Rose is so plastered. I knew she'd get in trouble. She's in the middle of the dance floor surrounded by drooling men trying to get close to her. I very much want to pull her out of here and take her home, but she's an adult now and not my responsibility anymore. But I want her to be safe, so I'll call the next best thing to me, Adrian. I pull out my cell and dial his number.

"Ivashkov speaking."

"This is Dimitri. I thought you might like to know that your girlfriend is trashed and is being eyed by every lonely guardian in the place. You might want to come get her and take her home."

"Thanks. I'll be right there." he hangs up. I wouldn't be surprised if he sprints the whole way here. I look over to Tasha who looks exhausted.

"Did you have a good time tonight?" I ask her. She works really hard and being pregnant, she deserves some fun time.

"Yes, I did. But all I really want to do right now is go home and go to bed." she says rubbing her belly. Just a couple more months to go and I'll get to meet my little girl. I can't wait. I take her hand and lead her out the door. As I open it, I see Adrian running up, panting.

"She's right over there." I tell him as I point to the middle of the dance floor. Rose is dancing and singing loudly with a group of guys. "Good luck with that." I yell as he makes his way over to her.

**Adrian POV**

I walk up to Rose and take her hand and pull her out of the sea of men. As soon as we are on the outskirts of the crowd, she sqeals and jumps on me. "Adrian, I'm so glad you're here." She has her arms around my neck and legs around my waist as I hold her up. I walk her over to the nearest barstool and set her down.

"Have a couple drinks, did we?" I ask amused with her behavior. She very rarely drinks, especially not to the point of getting drunk since she's so dedicated to her job.

"I don't know about you, but I'm drunk. Don't tell Adrian, though. Shhh." she says, one finger to her mouth. She can't keep still as she lightly sways in her seat. A slow song comes on and her face lights up as she jumps down from the stool. But as soon as her feet hit the floor, she looses her balance and falls into me. Luckily I'm quick and I catch her before she hits the ground. "Whoa, there's all sorts of gravity in here." she says as I help her up. We walk to the dance floor and hold each other tight as we sway to the music. "Did you know that this isn't the first time we've fallen in love?" she says lazily while her head rests on my chest.

"Oh really? When did we fall in love before?" I know this is nonesense, but I'll humor her.

"Many lifetimes. I'm always your guardian and we always die together because fucking Stephan can't seem to let go of the past. Stupid bastard." she rambles. What the hell is she talking about?

"Rose, who's Stephan?"

"Oh, he's the Strigoi that wants to kill you because you stole my heart from him over two hundred years ago." she says, barely awake now. What the hell?

**Uh oh, Rose spilled the beans. How will Adrian react to this news? Will Spartacus ever get out of his Prada prison? Tune in next time. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review.**


	24. Chapter 24

**You are all awesome with those reviews. Thanks so much!**

**Vampire Academy is not owned by me. Richelle Mead has that honor.**

**Rose POV**

Oh my freakin' god. My head feels like it has literally split open. So much so I reach up and feel the top of my head to make sure it's still intact. It is. My eyes hurt and I haven't even opened them yet. My mouth feels like it's full of cotton and my throat hurts. I must've gotten sick in the middle of the night. I sure hope I made it to the toilet. That would be so embarrassing. God, even my teeth and hair hurt. I don't know how Adrian ever did this more than once. Even though my body just wants to lie here in my bed, well I hope it's my bed, I have to use the bathroom, bad. As I raise my head to get out of bed, the throbbing starts and I cry out in pain. Oh dear god, please make the pain go away. Okay, sitting up is not going to happen, but I still need to pee. Think, Rose, no matter how much it hurts your brain right now, think. I got it! I'll roll out of bed and crawl to the bathroom. I'm a genius.

I take a deep breath and roll over and land on the floor with a thud. "Son of a bitch!" I yell into the carpet. Well, at least I'm out of bed. I try to push myself up to a push up position, but I can only get as far as my elbows. At least that's something. Laying on the floor is putting more pressure on my bladder, so I better hurry before I have an accident. Can you imagine trying to explain that one to the carpet cleaners? Too bad I don't have a dog to blame it on. I manage to drag myself on my elbows to the bathroom, although it takes me like ten minutes. "Woo hoo! I did it!" I celebrate at the foot of the bowl. Come on muscles, do your thing. I pull myself up and sit down. I'm exhausted now.

After I finish, I'm better able to stand up and stumble to the sink to wash my hands and brush my teeth. When I rinse, the water taste so good and my thirst burns in my throat. I don't have a glass, so I do the next best thing and stick my face under the running faucet, gulping as much cool water as I can. When I get my fill, I stand up straight and cringe when I catch my reflection in the mirror. Oh the horror. I grab the washcloth next to the sink and scrub all the smudged make up off my face. At least I look half human again, cause, you know, I'm only half human. Whatever. Hey, how did I get my pj's on? I put my mess of hair in a pony tail in case my absent boyfriend ever decides to show up to see if I survived the night. You would think that after everything I've done for him when he was like this, he'd be here. I admit, I'm a little hurt that he isn't here taking care of me. Selfish asshole. All the energy I spent just getting to the bathroom is taking its toll and I just want to go back to bed and sleep for the rest of the day. As I walk back to flop on the bed, my foot catches on something and I fall flat on my face, again. I try to get up but give up and figure the floor really isn't that uncomfortable after all. It doesn't take long for sleep to overtake me.

I roll over and discover that I'm no longer on the floor, but back in my bed. I feel the side in hopes that my favorite warm body is occupying it, only to be disappointed. Where the hell is he? Did I do something last night that upset him? I rack my brain to figure out what the hell went on last night to find the answer. Let's see, I remember getting Emily drunk with tequilla, filming her dancing with the guys, watching her make out with Eddie. Oh god, Eddie. He is _so_ going to kill me for that. Hmm, what else? I remember dancing with my friends and I think Adrian was there, but it's so fuzzy. He better not be mad at me for something I did when I was drunk. I have no idea who brought me home and changed me out of my clothes, though. I should probably call him. I look over to my night stand but I don't see my phone. It's probably still in my pants pocket. That means I have to get out of bed. I sit up and my head still hurts, but not as bad as before. I see my clothes on the floor and I search through my pockets for my phone. Ah ha! Found it. I sit on the floor and dial Adrians number. One ringy-dingy. Two ringy-dingy. Voicemail. Great, I can't believe he's ignoring me. What the hell did I do? I can feel the tears starting to well in my eyes, but I refuse to cry for someone who doesn't even have the decency to tell me what I did wrong.

Well, I guess I'm just going to have to take care of myself. I get myself off the floor and head to the shower. I didn't realize how much I stunk before I got cleaned up. After getting dressed into some comfortable clothes, I decide I need some coffee and fresh air. Putting on my sunglasses, because the light is still hurting my head, I take myself down to the cafe Mia works at. I wonder how she faired last night? To my surprise, she's working today. Were Emily and I the only ones to get hammered last night? Speaking of Emily, her birthday dinner is tonight. I hope Christian was able to work his magic with the footage I gave him. I so want to be there when they play it for her. She was pretty fun, though, last night. I can deal with a drunk Emily, it's the sober one I want to pummel.

"Hey Mia. Can I have a black coffee please?" She smiles at me and fills my order, all while looking perky and perfect. Bitch. "How is it you can get drunk last night and look like nothing happened this morning?" What is her secret?

"For one thing, I didn't get as drunk as you. And two, it isn't the morning anymore. It's the afternoon. Are you just waking up?" That would explain a lot.

"Yeah, kind of. Have you seen Adrian around? He isn't answering my calls." She shrugs her shoulders and hands me my cup. There's a line behind me so I can't stay and chit chat, so I pay and go take a walk in the Court park. I find a quiet bench and sit and people watch. I start thinking about Stephan and what I'm going to do. I know he's going to be harder to fight next time I see him, so I need to step up my training, if that's possible. Adrian isn't going to understand, but I can't tell him what's going on. I don't want him worrying about me any more than he already does.

"Glad to see you're finally up." I look over my shoulder and see Adrian leaning against the back of the bench, looking straight ahead.

"Glad to see you finally decided to see if I was still alive." I say in the same dry tone he used on me. I'm still annoyed he ignored me all day. I take another sip of my coffee and pretend to examine my nails. He comes around the bench and takes the seat next to me.

"Who do you think carried you home last night? Who do you think dressed you in your night clothes? Who do you think picked you up off the floor and put you back in bed?" he asks, sounding irritated.

"Thank you for taking me home and getting me dressed. But why didn't you stick around to make sure I was okay? It took me twenty minutes to just visit the bathroom this morning. I could've used some help, but I was all alone. I never just left you alone like that, even if we were fighting. _Are_ we fighting?" I still don't remember much from last night. Hopefully he has some answers. He doesn't say anything for a few minutes. Yep, we're fighting. I just wish I knew why.

"Who's Stephan?" he asks with a bit of a scowl on his face. I choke on the coffee I just swallowed, surprised at the question. Oh shit! Please don't tell me I had diarhea of the mouth and let it slip about him. I cough as I try to dry the front of my shirt off as I look at him for any clue that he already knows the answer to that question. How much did I reveal last night?

"Who?" Maybe if I play dumb, he'll drop it. By the look he's giving me right now, that's not going to happen.

"You know who, Rose. Just answer the question." He sounds like he's loosing his patience, so I guess I better come clean.

"A Strigoi who's trying to kill you." Since I have no idea what I told him last night, I'll just give him short and simple answers.

"And why is he trying to kill me?"

"Because he's a nut job, that's why. Don't worry, he'll never lay a finger on you as long as I'm alive." There's no way I'm going to tell him that I plan on hunting him down and killing him first. He'll never let me out of his sight. Well, I used to think so, but this morning taught me otherwise.

"How come this is the first I'm hearing of this? Don't you think I should have been told?" he's getting angry now. I try to do what I think is best for him and now he's giving me hell for it.

"What would you have done about it? If you knew there was a revenge seeking Strigoi out to kill you, what would you've done that Guardian Smith and I weren't already doing? I didn't want you to be living in fear." I cross my arms over my chest and look out at the horizon and wait for his reply. He doesn't say anything for quite a while.

"Is Stephan the reason you've been killing yourself in training?" I look over at him, astonished he'd ask such a question.

"Of course. I'd do anything to keep you alive and with me." To me it's worth every broken bone and bruise I get if it means I can keep him safe.

"Last night you said we always die together. How many times has this happened?" he seems more curious than mad now.

"I don't know. He told me he can always find us through me, because there aren't too many Ivashkov Lords with pretty badass female guardians. Personally, I think he's just nuts, but he's also deadly."

"Wait, you spoke to him? And you both just walked away?" he asks like it was the most impossible thing in the world. He's getting worked up again. Man, his moods are swinging like monkeys in a tree.

"Oh sure, we sat down and had a nice little chat over tea and cookies last week." I roll my eyes. "And for your information, I almost killed him. I just missed his heart." I say looking down. I don't think I'll ever get over that stupid mistake.

"So is this the big secret you've been keeping from me, or is there more?" Okay, he is really getting on my nerves right now.

"No, that's pretty much it. Now you know. I'm sorry I said anything. If you'll excuse me, I'm not feeling well." I stand up and throw my empty cup in the trash can and walk away leaving him sitting on the bench deep in thought. My chest tightens up when I notice he doesn't say anything to me but let's me walk away. I swallow the lump in my throat, fighting to keep the tears at bay. I did the right thing trying to keep this secret from him and I won't feel guilty about it. I do feel bad I let it slip. I feel something on my cheek and I wipe away the traitorous tear. I figure I have two choices right now, I can go home and cry or I can go to the gym and beat the crap out of stuff. Option two sounds good right now. I go home and take some aspirin for my headache and change my clothes. I haven't eaten anything all day, so I also grab a power bar to eat as I walk.

On my way, I open up the bond and pull all the darkness out of Lissa to help fuel my workout. When I get there, the gym is practically empty. I head straight for the punching bags and go to town. I make sure I have my gloves on, not wanting to damage my knuckles like the last time I took my anger out on the bags. I hit and punch and kick and jab at the bags so long that I see the sun coming up. I take a look at the clock to see that I've been here for five hours now.

I grab my water bottle and eagerly drink it dry while heading back to my room. He never even came looking for me. I didn't realize keeping this secret from him would hurt him so bad. I thought I was doing the right think by protecting him. I guess I was wrong. Just as I get to my door, one of the Queen's guardians comes up to me. "The Queen requests to see you right now." he tells me. I nod and follow him, wondering if she's going to bitch me out for telling Adrian. We get to her parlor and I see Conner and Dimitri and the other guardians she assigned to my group when we go after Stephan.

"We found his hide out Guardian Hathaway. You leave here in one hour." she tells me.

**I wonder where Adrian was all day and why he didn't go after Rose? We'll find out next chapter. It's getting pretty exciting, no? Thanks for reading and don't forget to review. **


	25. Chapter 25

**Thanks everyone for all the wonderful reviews. They really inspire me to keep the chapter coming. I noticed when I updated the last chapter, it didn't get bumped up to the top of the list, so if you like reading my story but aren't getting email alerts when I publish a new chapter, I would advise it. That way you won't miss anything. So, if you haven't read chapter 24, do that first. Again thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy reading this chapter.**

**I don't own it, so stop asking.**

**Adrian POV**

What the hell did she just say? There's a Strigoi who wants to kill me because I stole her from him two hundred years ago? Well, that's a new one. "Rose, could you repeat that? I don't think I heard you right." I look down and see Rose's eyes closed as she leans against me. "Rose?" I give her a little shake. Great, she fell asleep on me. I pick her up bridal style and start to walk out the door only to be stopped by Guardian Conner.

"Do you need any help Lord Ivashkov?" he asks pointing to the unconscious Rose in my arms. Hey, I may be just a Moroi, but I'm stong enough to carry her home.

"No, I've got it. Thanks though." He holds the door open for me as I leave the bar and head to her room. Thankfully, she doesn't live too far away, because she's starting to get heavy. It takes me a minute to dig the keys out of my pocket to unlock her door. I kick the door open with my foot and take her to her bedroom and plop her down on her bed. She bounces on the bed when she lands and her eyes open wide. I'm about to say something when she sits up quickly, hand over her mouth and then sprints to the bathroom to get sick. I rush to her and pull her hair back to keep it from getting puked on. Oh, that's not pretty. After she's done, she rests her head on the side of the bowl and falls back to sleep. I hope I was never this bad. I pick her back up and put her back to bed. I sit at the end of the bed and untie her shoes and take them off, getting her comfortable. I chuckle to myself thinking about how Rose used to do this for me just about every weekend. I start to remove her clothes and I can't help but blush looking at her beautiful form. I grab some sleep clothes from her drawer and get her dressed, which is really hard to do when she isn't cooperating.

I lay down next to her and hold her in my arms wishing she was awake to explain what she said earlier. Was she just babbling nonesense, or is this what she's been keeping from me? I'm not going to get my answers now, that's for sure. I think I'll go and come back in the morning when she'll hopefully be coherent enough to talk. I move the hair off her shoulder and kiss her gently on her neck. "Sleep well Little Dhampir. I love you." I whisper to her. As I leave her room, I look back at her I wonder if she'll be okay. I'll be back early, what could happen while I'm gone? I mean, she's just sleeping. Right?

When I finally wake up, I notice that I slept longer than I planned. I hope Rose is alright. I quickly jump in the shower and get dressed before going to check on her. When I get to her room I see her face down on the floor in front of the bathroom. Oh god, what happened? I drag her back to bed and cover her up. I see that she washed her face and put her hair up. I hope she didn't get sick again. I stare at her face, naturally beautiful but with carpet imprints on her cheek from laying on the floor. I have a feeling she isn't going to be too happy with me for not being here when she woke up, so I think I'll let her sleep. Waking her will just make her bitchier, and I'm not in the mood for bitchy Rose right now. I lean over her and give her lips a tender kiss. Again I whisper how much I love her in her ear before I leave to get some answers from the one other person I believe has them, the Queen.

"Good morning Celeste. Aren't you looking lovely today. Would you be a doll and let my aunt know I would like to speak with her right away." I tell the receptionist, whose job it is to keep annoying subjects away from her majesty. Of course, Celeste has always had a soft spot for me and usually lets me in without any problems.

"I'm sorry Lord Ivashkov, but the Queen is particularly busy this morning and asked not to be disturbed by anyone." she looks sorry like her hands are tied, but I really want to see her.

"Can you tell her I want to talk about Stephan." Celeste gives me a puzzled look, but picks up the phone and relays the message.

"Well, Lord Ivashkov, the Queen will see you. Just have a seat and she'll be right with you." she nods to me and I smile a thank you. There is definitely something to what Rose said if my aunt had such a quick change of heart to seeing anybody today. I sit on the couch in her parlor and wait for her to come. I wonder if she'll be evasive or just tell me everything there is to know. There's no telling with her sometimes. The doors swing open and Aunt Tatiana walks in with no less than four guardians behind her. I rise from my seat to greet her.

"Aunt, you look well."

"Thank you Adrian. Now, what was it that you wanted to speak to me about?" She asks smiling.

"I want to know about Stephan and why he's after me." Her smile instantly fell and turned into a scowl.

"How did you find out?" I don't want to get Rose in trouble if I can avoid it.

"Does it matter? Just tell me everything you know." I sound a little more impatient than I intended.

"There isn't really that much to know. Stephan is a Strigoi that has been hunting the Ivashkov family for centuries and you are his latest target. Precautions have been taken to preserve your safety. You have the best guardians and live in a heavily warded area. There is no need to worry." she says like it's nothing.

"If I have nothing to worry about, then why wasn't I told before?"

"I didn't want you to feel burdened or guilty for the extra danger your guardians are in, especially Guardian Hathaway. I know how you feel about her and would never want her to put herself in more danger than normal because of you. But she is the best person to guard you, and not because of her fighting skills. Because of her feelings for you, no other guardian will be as dedicated to your safety as she is. Just look at what she puts herself through to ensure your safety. Now I expect for you to forget about Stephan and let Rose do her job." she says the last part sternly. She stands up to leave and I see that this conversation is now over. I give her a hug goodbye and walk out.

I think over everything my aunt told me as I walk back to my apartment and I feel the anger growing. Why does she insist on treating me like a child? She keeps throwing women at me in hopes I'll get married, she got me a job here at Court, and now I find out she's been keeping this secret from me. I think back to all the unneccesary trips out of the wards I've been on and the danger I put Rose through. If I would've known, I could've made other choices, like not going. It's my life he wants, I should've been told.

Well, now that I know, things will be different. No more leaving Court. There is everything here that I could possibly need. I know, it sounds boring but at least I don't have to worry about Rose fighting this apparently insane Strigoi. Besides, Rose said last night that she dies with me, so it's not just my life that's in danger, it's hers too.

I need a drink. I walk into my kitchen and fill a glass with vodka. I drink it down and think that I need to talk to Rose and find out why she kept this from me. My aunt keeping this secret is one thing, but from Rose, it hurts. She doesn't trust me enough to tell me. I feel betrayed. I need to give her a chance to explain. I walk to her place and let myself in since she's probably still in bed, but I'm wrong. Her bed is empty as is the rest of her apartment. I wonder where she went? I don't think she'd feel good enough to work out so maybe she went somewhere to eat.

As I'm walking to the cafe I figure she'd go to, I see her walking to the park, so I follow her. She sits on a bench and sips her coffee while looking deep in thought. I wonder if she realizes what she told me last night. I wonder if she remembers _anything_ from last night. I stand behind her for a few moments and just watch her. I love her, god I love her, but what she did hurts. Well, I'm not getting any answers standing back here. "Glad to see you're finally up." I say as I lean against the bench.

"Glad to see you finally decided to see if I was still alive." She says dryly. Yep, I knew she was going to be pissed I wasn't there when she woke up, but it's not like I didn't help her. I walk around the bench and sit next to her.

"Who do you think carried you home last night? Who do you think dressed you in your night clothes? Who do you think picked you up off the floor and put you back in bed?" I ask irritation clearly in my voice. She acting like I totally ignored her.

"Thank you for taking me home and getting me dressed. But why didn't you stick around to make sure I was okay? It took me twenty minutes to just visit the bathroom this morning. I could've used some help, but I was all alone. I never just left you alone like that, even if we were fighting. _Are_ we fighting?" She asks frustrated. Are we fighting? I guess we are. I want answers to the big secret she's been keeping from me, so yeah, we're fighting.

"Who's Stephan?" I ask. From the corner of my eye I see her choke on the sip of coffee she was taking, making a mess on her shirt. She cleans it up while stealing glances at me, probably trying to see how much I know. I want the truth, so I keep my poker face calmly in place.

"Who?" she asks innocently. Oh Please Rose. Don't insult me like that.

"You know who, Rose. Just answer the question." I'm getting real tired of the run around.

"A Strigoi who's trying to kill you." she says bluntly. So she's going to play this little game, huh? I guess I'll have to drag it out of her one question at a time.

"And why is he trying to kill me?"

"Because he's a nut job, that's why. Don't worry, he'll never lay a finger on you as long as I'm alive." Because he's nuts doesn't tell me much. I guess the why isn't that important right now. I'll just get right to the point.

"How come this is the first I'm hearing of this? Don't you think I should have been told?" I'm having trouble keeping my anger in check right now with the way she seems to be purposely holding back information, like I'm too delicate to handle it.

"What would you have done about it? If you knew there was a revenge seeking Strigoi out to kill you, what would you've done that Guardian Smith and I weren't already doing? I didn't want you to be living in fear." she says, her temper starting to wear thin. Doesn't she know I already live in fear whenever we leave the wards? But it's not my life I'm fearful of, it's hers. She throws herself in danger just to protect me. Am I worth it. Is this Stephan guy really so dangerous that she didn't tell me and she's doing all this extra training just to defeat him?

"Is Stephan the reason you've been killing yourself in training?"

"Of course. I'd do anything to keep you alive and with me." I would do anything to keep her alive and with me too.

"Last night you said we always die together. How many times has this happened?" It seems like I'm not the only one he's after. I wonder how many people he's killed because of this strange vendetta.

"I don't know. He told me he can always find us through me, because there aren't too many Ivashkov Lords with pretty badass female guardians. Personally, I think he's just nuts, but he's also deadly." What? He told her? She spoke with him, personally. When did this happen?

"Wait, you spoke to him? And you both just walked away?" I don't understand.

"Oh sure, we sat down and had a nice little chat over tea and cookies last week." Great, now she brings out the sarcasm. "And for your information, I almost killed him. I just missed his heart." Ah, this was the day of her dance class with Guardian Conner. I knew there was more to the story than she was telling me. More secrets.

"So is this the big secret you've been keeping from me, or is there more?" I hope this is it. I don't think I can handle anymore. I just want to put this behind me and start fresh.

"No, that's pretty much it. Now you know. I'm sorry I said anything. If you'll excuse me, I'm not feeling well." she says irritated as she stands up and walks away. I can't believe she's mad at me. She the one whose been lying to me and keeping secrets. The only thing I did wrong was not help her to the bathroom this morning. It's not like I didn't do anything. I'll let her cool down before I go talk to her some more. What time is it anyway? Oh crap! I have to get ready for Emily's birthday dinner. Why am I going again? Oh yeah, there's supposed to be a good show.

I meet up with Lissa and Christian and we walk to the restaurant together. "So, did you get the little film all done?" I ask Chrisian since he's supposed to put this together.

"It's all done and it's pretty good too. I feel bad for Eddie, though. He says he's going to pay Rose back, so you might want to warn her to be careful." he laughs. Now I really can't wait to see this thing. We walk into the place and are immediately shown to the table where the rest of the guests are already sitting. There's Emily and Spartacus, who seems to be sporting a new haircolor and spiked collar, Lord and Lady Conta, and three young women I've never seen before. These must be her friends. Emily sees us and comes rushing over. She takes my arm and drags me over to her mother.

"Mom, this is Adrian Ivashkov." I shake her hand gently and say hello. She doesn't say anything to Lord Conta since we've already met, but that doesn't stop me from giving him my best glare. Then she drags me over to the three ladies who are eyeing me up and down. "Girls, this is Adrian Ivashkov. We've been seeing a lot of each other. Adrian, this is Jennifer Zeklos, Rene Dashkov and Kayla Badica." I give them all a smile and say hello. God, this night is going to go on forever, I just know it. She then grabs Lissa, leaving Christian behind, and repeats the introductions.

We sit down to eat and I get stuck between Emily and her mom, who seems to be a bit of a cougar with the looks she sends me every now and then. I actually choke on my soup when I feel her hand start to run up my thigh. I take her hand and firmly put it back on her own leg, hopefully giving her the message that her advances are unwelcome. I feel so cheap.

Finally we get through dinner, and the night's almost over. It's present time now. I perk up in my seat, excited to see what Rose and Christian put together. Lissa stands up and walks over to the hostess with the DVD in hand. I see her whispering instructions to her and pointing to the big flat screen tv by our table. Lissa then comes back to the table to tell Emily about her gift.

"Emily, I decided it would be fun to collect some pictures and video clips from your friends and family of your life thus far. Christian has been kind enough to put together a little movie for you using those clips provided. So if everyone will turn their attention to the tv, we'll get it started." she sits back down and gives me a wink. I wish I had some popcorn right now.

The movie starts off with Emily as a little girl playing tea party with her dolls. She even has her guardian sitting at the table with her all dressed up in a big puffy hat and feather boa. Poor guy looks miserable. A few cute kid scenes later, it gets to high school and pictures of her and the three girls here goofing off. This is boring. When's the good stuff happening? I look over to Christian who gives me a big smiling indicating that my wait won't be long now. Next thing I know, I see Emily doing shots with Lissa, Mia and Tasha. Rose must be filming. Then it cuts to Emily on the dance floor with more makeup on than Tammy Faye Baker, in between Conner and Eddie. I'm biting the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing when I hear her friends gasp at what they're seeing. Emily face just went two shades paler. I wonder if she remembers any of this. "Are you dry humping a guardian on the dance floor?" the Zeklos girl asks horrified. Emily seems to be at a loss for words as her eyes are glued to the screen.

Then it cuts again to Emily on the little stage wearing a tshirt that says 'Bloodwhore Wanna be' while she butchers my favorite Madonna song. I can't help the laughter that erupts from me this time, and neither can Christian. I look over and Lord Conta looks pissed, her friends look shocked, Emily looks horrified and her mom has a little smirk on her face. I guess she's finding out her daughter might be just as freaky as she is. But I really loose it when the camera zooms in on Emily pinning poor, poor Eddie to the wall while she attacks him with her lips. "Ohh, Guardian Castile, I think we could have a lot of fun together if you were my guardian. Would you like that?" The look on Eddie's face is priceless. He looks like he's in pain. Christian is laughing so hard, he's holding his side from the stitch he must have. I'm just trying to breath, I'm laughing so hard. Then I hear Rose's voice as we watch Emily trying to take Eddie's shirt off. "Oh Emily, you're such a hypocrite. You talk down to my friend who fell in love with her guardian and is having his baby, yet here you are, trying to get freaky with a guardian of you own. Wanna have little Dhampir babies of your own, do ya? I'm sure you can ask your dad all about that. And if you're listening Lord Conta, if you think intimidation is the way to get into my pants, you're wrong. That's never going to happen so stop trying. The next time you put your hand on my ass, you're not getting it back. Capiche?" Then the camera turns around so that Rose's face is in view. "Happy Birthday Emily, you bitch."

The movie ends and everyone is silent. I wipe the tears off my face as I try to regain control of my breathing. She stands up, face beat red and points over at Lissa and Christian. "You set me up. You and that bit..Ruff, ruff." That does it. I explode in laughter and actually fall out of my chair. Rose should be here to see this. She keeps trying to yell out them, but all she can do is bark. It takes me about two minutes to get myself off the floor and walk over to Lissa and Chrisian to leave. Just then, Eddie comes walking over to Lissa. Emily sees him and her eyes go wide. "You!" she says pointing at him. He friends start laughing when Eddie grabs me and tries to hide from her.

"Hey, last night was fun and all, but I think I'll keep my postion as the princess's guardian. Thanks anyway." Her so called friends gather their bags and walk out, laughing at Emily as she looks on the verge of tears. I look around the restaurant and see most of the people must have been watching and are laughing at the scene our table made. Classic. The four of us walk out, satisfied that Rose's vision of Emily's humiliation has come true. I can't wait to tell her. Then I remember that I'm supposed to be mad at her. Lissa must see my expression change because she pulls me aside to talk.

"What's wrong" she asks.

"I found out Rose has been keeping a big secret from me. She says it was to protect me, but I just feel lied to." I tell her. She gives me a knowing look.

"I know that feeling. But you have to understand that Rose lives to protect those she loves. She wouldn't do something like that unless she thought is was absolutely necessary. Her heart was in the right place." I know she's right. I need to talk to her. I tell them goodnight and go to find Rose. For some reason, something inside me is leading me to the gym. She wouldn't be training at this hour, would she? I follow my gut and sure enough, she's there, beating the crap out of a punching bag. I love watching her when she fights, so I sit down and just admire how her body moves. She's so graceful and strong. I want to talk to her, but she seems to be needing this. There is a lot of darkness in her aura, which she is probably trying to dissolve. Maybe it's best if I leave her alone and talk to her in the morning. I'll surprise her with donuts and coffee. I walk away knowing that tomorrow I'll make everything better.

**Well, there it is. I wonder what will happen with Rose? I guess we'll find out next chapter. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review.**


	26. Chapter 26

**Vampire Academy is not owned by me. Sad, but true.**

**Rose POV**

"We found his hide out Guardian Hathaway. You leave here in one hour." The Queen tells me as soon as I walk into the room. Holy crap! A whole bundle of emotions flow through me, eagerness, apprehension, fear. I take a deep breath, letting the fact that in a few hours, I'll hopefully be face to face with the monster threatening to take my life away, my Adrian. One way or another, one of us isn't walking away alive.

"So, where is he?" My nerves are causing my stomach to do flip flops. I've been waiting for this day for two years now.

"He is living in a little house about two hours north of here. Here are the specifics." she hands me a folder with all the information her team has gathered about Stephan. I look it over and notice that the information I gave the queen after my encounter with him, is in here. It looks like someone did some research and found all the victims Stephan killed, believing they were the reincarnated couples of the original guardian and Ivashkov. Their names were Guardian Elizabeth Gates and Ivan Ivashkov. I close the folder, not having time to read it all right now, and face the queen. "Do they know all the details of who we're going after?" I ask referring to the five guardians standing to the side. I don't know what they have been told or what she wants known.

"They know we are after a particular Strigoi, but not the reason why. I'll leave that to your better judgement as to how much you want them to know." she tells me. She sure is giving me a lot of power here, she must have more faith in me than I ever thought. I get closer to her so that the others can't hear our conversation.

"I thought I made it clear I didn't want Dimitri on my team." I know I shouldn't be talking to the Queen like this, but what do I have to loose right now.

"And I told you that he is one of the best and is going with you. End of discussion." she says firmly. I give her a scowl, which she returns. I know I'm not going to win this battle, so I sigh and give up. I walk over to face the five guardians waiting for instruction.

"Okay, you all know that we are going on a raid to kill a Strigoi. His name is Stephan Giordano and he is over two hundred years old, which makes him very strong and deadly. He's also insane and a bit cocky." I look in the folder again to check the latest information. "We believe he has seven other Strigoi with him in the house. Go gather all your weapons and meet up a the parking lot by the Court vehicles in one hour. You are to tell no one about this mission, top secret." They all nod at me and leave to get ready.

As I quickly walk to my room to shower and dress for battle, I think about how I left things with Adrian. I hate that the last time I might ever see him, we were fighting. I wish I had more time to go and appologize for being such a bitch, but I don't. I get to my room and head staight for the shower and turn it on hot. I need to calm down as much as I can, because right now I'm so wound up I might explode. I stand under the water letting the heat loosen my muscles up while my brain is stuck on Adrian. I don't want to leave with out seeing him one last time, but I know I won't want to leave once I look into those hypnotic eyes of his. Plus, if I do manage the strength to leave, will he let me go without an explanation? No. I can't tell him about the raid. Great, another secret I'm keeping from him. He's going to be pissed when he finds out. But I can't leave things the way they are. What if I don't make it back? I don't want him to doubt what's in my heart. A letter. I'll write him a letter and give it to Tatiana to give to him if I don't return. This way he'll have something to keep with him that proves my love for him.

I jump out of the shower and dress in clothes that will be easy to fight in. I gather all my weapons, three stakes and a silver dagger, and attach them to my body. No need to conceal them so I put them where I can easily and quickly get to them. At my desk, I pull out the rose stationary Lissa bought me for my birthday one year and pour my heart out in my letter to Adrian. I don't even realize I'm crying until a tear splatters on the page. I tell him how much I love him, how I'm sorry for keeping this secret from him and how I wished we could've gotten married and had the family he always said he wanted with me. I look at the clock and see I only have twently minutes until I have to meet up with the others. I sign my name to the letter and put it in an envelope. I even put some red lipstick on so I can seal it with a kiss.

I grab my bag with some emergency supplies and extra clothes and haul ass back to the Queen's parlor to talk with her. I just hope she hasn't gone to bed yet since it's technically the middle of the night for Moroi. The guardian at the door lets me right in. She standing on the other side of the room, talking to one of her many advisors, when she looks up to see me enter. She holds up a finger to me letting me know she'll be right with me, so I take a seat on the couch by the little coffee table in the middle of the room. When she's done, she makes her way to me and sits next to me, putting her hand on mine. "Are you ready?" she asks concerned.

"As ready as I'll ever be. Can you do me a favor?" she nods, so I go on. "If I don't make it back, will you give this to Adrian for me? I need him to understand why I'm doing this and that I do love him. Can you do that?" I hand her the letter and she takes it with care.

"Of course, but I have a good feeling I won't have to. Be safe, Rose. I know you'll succeed." she says with a small smile. I sure hope she's right. We both stand and she pulls me into an embrace. When she pulls back, it almost looks like she has tears welling in her eyes.

"Thanks Tatiana. I'm sure you're right. I'll be back to give you hell soon enough." I say with a smile. She shakes her head and laughs quietly to herself.

"I know you will. Now go. You have a long drive ahead of you and daylight will be gone soon." I nod and turn to leave. Okay, one problem down, one to go, Dimitri.

I need to talk to Dimitri but I don't know exactly where he is and I don't want to wake up Tasha. So I go to the meeting spot to see who's there already. When I get there, I see Conner, Guardian Chenko and Guardian Johnson putting their bags in the back of one of the SUV's. I throw my bag to Chenko to add to the pile. I walk up to Conner who's leaning against the car, enjoying the sun shining on his face. "Have you seen Dimitri?" I ask him. He looks down to me and shrugs.

"Not here yet." he seems unusually quiet for him, but of course we're not going on your typical assignment either.

"I need to talk to him before we leave. I'll be right back." He doesn't say anything, but goes back to his sun bathing as I leave toward Dimitri's room to intercept him before he gets to the car. As I'm walking up the stairs, I see him at the top on his way down. He sees me and gives a half hearted smile. "Hey comrade. Can we talk before we meet the others?" He nods as he follows me down the steps and around the building where we can have some privacy.

"What did you need to talk about, Rose?" he asks as he sets his bag down by his feet.

"I don't want you to go on this raid." I say bluntly. I don't know any other way to say it. He looks at me confused.

"Why?"

"You don't know Stephan like I do. He's crazy and I have a bad feeling about this. I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you, especially with Little Roza on the way. I love you too much for that." I know they haven't decided on a name yet, but I'll compaigne for my name any opportunity I have.

"You don't think I can handle myself?" He's getting defensive now as he crosses his arms over his chest.

"It's not that. If this were any other time, I would be thrilled to be fighting with you, but I won't put you in danger. Especially when it's my fault the bastard's still alive. You need to stay alive long enough to see that little girl be born." His expression softens as he listens to my reasons for not wanting him along.

"Roza, if you think I'm letting you go without me, you're crazy. Do you think I'd be able to live with myself if anything happened to you? I'm going and that's final." He steps closer and wraps his arms around me and rest his head on mine. "Don't worry, Roza. Together we'll complete this mission and come home safely." Right now I'm torn between wanting him fighting with me because he is one of the best and wanting him to stay safe and sound. The image of his happy face when he talks about that little bundle of joy on her way to him, flashes in my mind and I know what I have to do. I pull away from him enough so that I can look him in the eyes.

"Can you just promise me one thing? If for some reason I don't make it back," he starts to interupt me but I put a finger to his mouth to shut him up. "watch over Adrian for me. He won't take it well and he might do something reckless. Keep him safe, for me." I plead with him with my eyes.

"I don't think it will be necessary, but I promise." he says. I look at him and think that this might be the last I see him, so I give him another hug and whisper in his ear.

"I just want you to know, you'll always have a special place in my heart." I place a kiss on his cheek before I pull out of his arms. "So, you ready to go kick some Strigoi ass?" I ask him. I look around the area for something heavy and blunt that I can knock him out with, but I don't see anything. Then I remember my dagger has a heavy wooden handle. I pull it out, but keep it hidden behind my back as he bends over to pick up his bag. Before he can stand upright, and out of my reach, I whack him hard on the back of his head. He goes down instantly with a thud. I go over to make sure he's out, but not dead. He'll thank me for this one day, I hope. "I'm sorry Dimitri." I tell his unconscious form before I leave him there on the ground. I know someone will find him eventually, but not too soon after we leave. Tatiana is so going to give me shit for this.

I run back to the car and see that Guardian Ailseworth has made it and is waiting for me and Dimitri. "Alright, everyone in the car now. Let's go." I yell as I jump into the front passenger seat. Conner is driving but gives me a confused look.

"Where's Guardian Belikov?"

"He's not coming, now go." I give him a look that tells him to not ask anymore questions, and he doesn't. He starts the car and we drive out of the Court gates and toward Stephan. Nobody is talking until Conner decides to break the silence.

"Is this Stephan guy the one that we encountered after our one and only dance lesson?" he asks.

"Yep." I say popping the 'p'. I open up the folder and read more about all the victims this guy killed, all because some chick broke his heart. Talk about holding a grudge. I also think about what he said to me. He might spare my life. I wonder if he'll still feel that way when we come invading his evil lair.

I read for about fifteen minutes when my eyelids start to get too heavy to keep open. I lay my head back and fall asleep. I find myself back at the bench that I last saw Adrian. I look around hoping that this is one of his dreams and that he'll appear to talk with me. "Adrian, if you're here, please come out." I shout. I finally see him walk out from behind a tree and stroll over to me and take a seat on the bench. I scoot closer to him and take his hand in mine. "Adrian, I'm so sorry for the way I acted and for keeping the secret from you. It's just that I thought that by not telling you I was protecting you. Please say that you'll forgive me." Now normally I wouldn't give up so easily, but considering the circumstances, I'll swallow my pride so that we are right again. He pulls me close to him and holds me tight.

"No, Rose. I'm the one who was acting like a jerk. I know you were only doing what you felt was right. I shouldn't be mad at you for that. Forgive me?" I give a little laugh at both of our behavior before accepting his appology. I feel so much better that we made up, I have a better outlook on our upcoming battle. I don't want to let him go until the very last second, and luckily, he seems to feel the same way. He gently places a hand on my cheek and looks deep into my eyes. I always get lost in his gorgeous green eyes. He leans down slowly and brushes his lips to mine. My hand travels right to his neck as I pull him down to me, deepening the kiss. He gradually pushes me down so that I'm laying on the bench as he hovers over me, never taking his lips off mine. I feel his hand on my hip and running up along my torso, under my shirt and over my chest. I feel the heat travel up my body in the wake of is roving hands.

Now, Adrian and I haven't gone all the way yet, if you know what I mean, and I don't think our first time should be in one of our dreams. I want it to be real. Besides, I don't know how long I'll be able to stay asleep before we get there. And there is also a real possibility that I could talk or moan in my sleep. That would be so embarrassing in a car full of men, so I think we'll have to keep it PG-13 right now. As we lay on the bench, kissing and caressing each other, we also continuously tell each other 'I love you' over and over again.

I feel the dream start to fade and I begin to panick. I'm not ready to let him go yet. I grab on to him tight and inhale his wonderful scent, trying to take a part of him with me out of the dream. "I love you Adrian. Don't ever forget that." I tell him as I feel myself slipping away. I wake up to someone shaking my shoulders. I look over to see that Conner is the one waking me up.

"We're here Rose. Are you okay?" I give him a puzzled look about his last question when I realize I have tears running down my cheek. I quickly wipe them away and sit up straight. I look out at the little white house standing in front of us and notice the nausea telling me we found the right place. I take a deep breath and look to the others. "Let's do this."

**Poor Dimitri's going to have a nasty headache when he wakes up. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review and let me know how you feel about the story so far.**


	27. Chapter 27

**Thanks for all the wonderful reviews and just remember how much you love me when you read this chapter. : ) Enjoy.**

**I love Vampire Academy, I just don't own it.**

**Dimitri POV**

"Dimka, honey. Can you hear me?" I hear a familiar voice talking to me, but it's sounds faint and far away. The fog that is intruding my mind is slowing fading, as I begin to take in everything around me. I try to open my eyes, but the bright light in the room is making it difficult. Eventually I manage it and I look around to see where I am. It looks like I'm in a clinic. With as many times as I took Rose to one, I know the look well. I see Tasha standing next to me, holding my hand with a worried look on her face. What the hell happened to me? Why am I here? Then right on cue, the back of my head starts throbbing in pain. I reach my hand back and feel a big goose egg on the back of my skull. I try to focus on the last thing I remember to figure out what happened. I remember being in the Queen's parlor getting an assignment to go on a raid to kill Strigoi. I remember Rose pulling me aside to talk. Realization of what happened came slamming back to me.

"Son of a bitch!" I yell, sitting straight up in my bed. Tasha jumps at my outburst and tries to push back on the bed. I can't believe Rose did this. If she gets out of this alive, I'm going to kill her.

"Dimka, calm down. The doctor says you might have a concussion. You need to relax and lie back down." she pleads with me. I take notice of myself and see my fists clenched tightly by my sides. I see the worry and fear in Tasha's eyes, and I will myself to calm down. I don't want her stressing out with the baby and all. I lie back down and give her a half hearted smile. This seems to please her and she pulls up the chair closer to the bed and sits down. "Do you remember what happened to you?" she asks. I do remember, unfortunately I can't tell anyone about it, except the Queen. I need to talk to her as soon as possible. I shake my head no, hopefully ending any more questions about my attack. What time is it anyway? I look around the room trying to find a damn clock, but can't. I crane my neck to peek over at Tasha's watch. She sees what I'm doing and moves her arm to give me a better look. Holy crap! I've been out for five hours. I guess I'm not too surprised. Rose is freakishly strong for her size.

Five hours. It's only supposed to take two hours to get to the location. That means the fight is most likely over. I sure hope Rose and the others were able to kill this Strigoi we were after. Hopefully they'll be home soon. She better come home, or I don't know what I'll do. Why is she so stubborn? I should've been with her, protecting her. My thoughts are interupted when Dr. Brown walks in. "Guardian Belikov, how are you feeling? Any nausea, dizziness, problems with your eyesight?" he asks while shining a bright light in my eyes. _Now_ I have vision problems, jackass. Of course now that he mentions it, I do feel a little sick and dizzy.

"A little, but nothing I can't handle." I just want to get out of here and find out what's happening with Rose. The doctor looks at me and smirks as he writes in my chart. What the hell? I cock an eyebrow at him waiting for an explanation for the look he gave me.

"You definitely have a concussion. Whenever a guardian tells me something hurts 'a little' I multiply that by ten to get the real answer. I'll release you but you must rest. You're officially off duty for the next three days." He smiles and nods to Tasha and me before he walks off. Great, just what I need. I wonder if the Queen knows already that I didn't go with the others. I pull out my cell phone to call her Highness' office when the lady herself walks into my room, and she doesn't look happy.

"Guardian Belikov, I heard about your attack. I would like to speak to you." she tells me and then turns to Tasha. "In private." Tasha kisses my cheek before bowing to the Queen and walking out of my room. Once Tasha is out of ear shot, the Queen glares at me. "Rose?" she asks. I wonder how she knew. I don't want to get Rose in trouble, but it sounds like she knows Rose too well.

"Yes your Highness." She closes her eyes and pinches the bridge of her nose and exhales loudly in frustration.

"That woman will be the death of me." she mumbles. I fight to keep the laughter form escaping my mouth at the thought that Rose has this effect on a lot of people.

"Have you heard anything from her, or the other guardians?" I ask. Not knowing what's going on is killing me.

"No, and that worries me. We're giving them one more hour and then sending another group of guardians to their destination to check on them. Let's just hope they're having car trouble. With Rose involved, that's not out of the realm of possibilities." she chuckles. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that the Queen might actually like Rose. Crazy, right?

"I'd like to be in that group, if it comes to that." Sitting here doing nothing is going to drive me insane. I need to know if she's okay.

"Dr. Brown informed me that you have a concussion and are off duty." I want to protest, but this is the Queen I'm talking to. Although, Rose would make her opinion known no matter who she's talking to. I bow my head in defeat, when she speaks again. "But, if you can convince my nephew to heal you, or the princess, then I would prefer that you lead the team to find them. But do not tell them about the mission, especially Adrian." I'm so thankful that I want to run up to her and give her a big ole hug. But I don't. Instead, I bow to her as she and her army of guardians leave.

I find Tasha as I walk down the hall, on my way to find Adrian. It's about time for the committee meeting to start, so I figure that would be the best place to find him. Tasha takes my hand as we walk, giving it a reassuring squeeze. She doesn't know about the raid or the fact that Rose could be in danger. She's just worried about me. We walk into the room and I scan around looking for him, but he isn't here yet. I wait for about ten minutes with no sign of him. I'm just about to leave and hunt him down when my phone rings. Well, speak of the devil. "Belikov." I answer.

"Hey, this is Adrian. Have you seen Rose anywhere? I can't find her. I think something's wrong." he sounds panicked. Great. Now what am I going to tell him?

**Adrian POV**

I wake up still feeling the tingle on my lips from kissing Rose in our dream last night. That was a great dream. I'm so glad we made up. I hate when we fight. I jump out of bed, eager to go see her in person and maybe pick up where the dream left off. As I walk to the shower, I notice I have an uneasy feeling growing inside me. I try to ignore it as I finish getting ready to go see Rose. Hopefully all the secrets are behind us now. This Stephan guy sounds like a real nut job. Of course, the thought that Rose and I have been in love many lifetimes over just makes us being together feel more right, like it's meant to be.

I go to the coffee shop and get Rose her favorite donut and some coffee to surprise her with. I see Rose's friend Mia working this morning. She seems like a nice person, though I don't know her very well. I say hello, get my order and leave to find Rose. As I walk to her apartment, I have the strangest feeling that she isn't there. I can't explain it, but I know she isn't there. I knock on the door, not really expecting a response, and I don't get one. I get my keys out to let myself in, just to make sure that she isn't in trouble. I walk in and immediately look around for any sign of her. I check the bedroom, hoping to find her asleep in her bed, but it's empty. I wonder if she has an early shift today. Okay Adrian, let's not panic. There are still lots of places she could be, but this uneasy feeling inside me is telling me the opposite. I pull out my phone and decide to just call her. No answer, it just goes to voicemail. I leave a message for her to return my call ASAP and hang up. This knawing feeling inside me is driving me crazy. If I don't find her soon, I think I'm going to loose it.

So my journey begins to find Rose, just to prove to myself that she's alright. I go to the gym, not there. Guardian cafateria, library, spa, Queens wing, not there, not there, not there, not there. I think I've searched every inch of this place only to confirm what I already know, she's not here. I go to the guardian office to see if they can tell me anything. The guardian there looks over the days schedule and back up to me. "It looks like she's been taken off the roster today." That sounds kinda fishy to me.

"Why has she been taken off duty today? Is something wrong?" I don't want to sound worried, but I can't help it.

"It doesn't say, but it looks like a couple other guardians have been removed also." I sneak a peek at the list and see that Belikov has also been scratched off. I'll try giving him a call before I tear this place apart.

"Belikov." he answers.

"Hey, this is Adrian. Have you seen Rose anywhere? I can't find her. I think something's wrong." I tell him a little panicked. He doesn't say anything for a second.

"I don't know where Rose is right now, but can you meet me somewhere? I need to talk to you." I have a feeling he knows more than he's letting on, so I agree to meet him back at my apartment.

"So Belikov, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" I ask as I let him in. He walks past and stops in the middle of the living room and turns around to face me.

"I was hoping you would be able to heal me. I was...in a little accident and received a concussion. The Queen wants me back on duty and asked that I come to you for help." he says in the usual guardian monotone voice. Hmm, that's interesting. My aunt must have something important in mind is she would suggest he get healed so he can get back to duty.

"I'll heal you on one condition. You need to help me find Rose. I have a bad feeling she's in trouble." I know he still loves Rose and will do anything to help her, which of course I'll use to my advantage.

"I'll do anything I can to find her." I can see in his aura that he means what he says, so I walk over to him and put my hands on the lump on his head and send the magic through to him. I pull away when I feel that his injury is no more and sit down on the nearest chair, feeling worn out.

"I did my part, now you need to do yours. Go find her." He looks at me, hesitant to move, obviously concerned for my now weakened state, but I wave him off and he heads out the door. I have a feeling whatever's going on has to do witih Rose. I just have to trust that he'll do everything he can to bring her back to me.

**Rose POV**

Who would've guessed that inside this quaint little white farm house, evil incarnate dwells. It's actually the perfect place for them. It's isolated from the rest of the world being surrounded by a forest of trees, completely shaded and miles away from the next neighbor. Off to the side is a big red barn that looks like it recently had animals living in it. No animals now, though. They were probably the side dishes to the main course, the family that lived here.

We all slip out of the car as quietly as we can, and creep toward the house, ninja style. I position myself at the front door with Conner and Ailseworth while Guardians Chenko and Johnson take the back door. I listen at the door for any movement inside. I hear what sounds to be an argument deep in the house but I can't quite make out what they're saying. This is the perfect time to go in since they'll be distracted with their own drama. My nerves are going crazy, knowing this may be my last chance to take Stephan down. I take a couple deep breaths to calm myself down and focus on the task at hand. I look over to Conner and he is in full guardian mode, face serious and determined. He nods to me, letting me know that he's ready. "Now!" I whisper in the com link to let the other team know it's time to go in.

I move aside while Conner kicks the door open with so much force that it almost falls off the hinges. I have my favorite stake ready as I rush in and stab the first Strigoi I see before he knows what's happening. My sole goal is to locate and kill Stephan. The other Strigoi in the house don't concern me at the moment. I run from room to room searching, only stopping to kill when a Strigoi decides to challenge me. All the extra training has really benefitted me because I have no trouble bringing them down one by one.

I see a stair case and run up two steps at a time to get to the top. I go from room to room looking for him. I'm getting so frustrated since I've yet to see him. I enter the last room and see a couple human teenage girls tied up and awake, sitting on the floor. They must be a midnight snack. I don't have time right now to deal with them. I run out of the room, their muffled screams for help trailing behind me. I get to the top of the stairs again to go back down, but there are two Strigoi blocking the way. From behind I hear more footsteps coming closer. They think they've got me surrounded now. "It looks like the end of the line for you, sweetheart." one in front of me taunts. The corner of my mouth pulls up into a smile as I close my eyes and focus on everything around me like I learned in training. I hear and feel one coming up to my right. I spin around with my stake and hit her right in the heart in one swift motion. Bullseye! They all pounce at me at once. I pull out one of my reserve stakes sheathed to my leg and go to town on their asses.

One of them got in a hard punch to my ribs, breaking a couple. I suck it up and stab the bastard in the gut for breaking my ribs and then the heart. I'm down to one left, and I can tell he's scared. I attack and in less than a minute, he's dead. I'm standing at the top of the stairs, trying to catch my breath when I smell smoke. Then I see the flames all around the walls down stairs. I wonder why I didn't notice it before. Probably because I was blocking out all distractions and focussing on the Strigoi I was fighting. I rush downstairs and the smoke is so thick I can't see anything, but hear coughing and fighting. All the windows have been boarded up to keep the sunlight out, making escape through them impossible. I take off in the direction I think the front door is when I run into something, or someone. It's Conner.

"Rose, **cough** get out of here." he yells. He grabs my arm and pushes me toward the door. I turn around and I can barely make out him fighting a big Strigoi through the smoke surrounding us. Suddenly I hear a big crack and look up to see that the ceiling is breaking apart right above where Conner is fighting. No! No! No! No! No!. I start running to him but I it feels like I'm in a never ending tunnel. The faster I go the farther away he is. Everything seems to be in slow motion. I see Conner look up just as a big beam comes crashing down on top of him and the Strigoi. The impact of it hitting the floor knocks me down on my butt. I freeze. I don't know how long I sit here and stare at the fire before me, until reality hits me. I've got to get out of here. I get up and turn to run to the door. I hear more loud crashes and glass exploding behind me, but I don't look back. I'm about ten feet to the door when I feel something heavy land on my head, and then blackness.

**Okay, don't be hatin'. Review and tell me what you think so far and what you think should happen next. Thanks for reading.**


	28. Chapter 28

**Thanks for coming back. I know it was cruel ending the last chapter like I did, but it was necessary. Thanks for all the awesome reviews.**

**If you think I own Vampire Academy, you're wrong.**

**Dimitri POV**

If this guy in front of me doesn't get off his cell and speed up, I'm going to run him off the road and shove that phone up his ass! Me and a few other guardians are finally on our way to see what's going on with the Strigoi raid they left for this morning. I'm driving, obviously, with Guardian Petrov next to me. She's still the head guardian at the academy, but came to court on business and heard about the now missing guardians, and practically begged the Queen to let her come along. I know she always had a soft spot for Rose, almost a motherly affection for her. "Get off the road, jackass!" she yells in frustration to the car ahead. I look over to her amazed that she's expressing so much emotion. I've always been impressed with the amount of control she's had in stressfull situations. Her feelings for Rose must be stronger than I imagined.

"Don't worry, Alberta. We'll get there soon." I try to reassure her. She gives me a little smile, but anyone can tell it's forced. I know how she feels. I won't feel better until I see Rose alive and well for myself. This whole situation reminds me too much of Spokane. I just pray to have a similar outcome, hopefully better.

I pull up the driveway that the map we have tells me is the place. I see their SUV parked to the side but I don't see the house. My heart stops when I see smoke and fire burning on what used to be a house. I manage to stop the car and park it, but my legs are frozen. Cold sweat is beading on my forehead and my chest is so tight I can barely breath. I can't do anything but stare at the scene before me. "Belikov!" Guardian Smith yells at me. I snap out of my trance and look over to him. "Let's go investigate." he says. He gets out of the car along with the three other guardians that came along. Alberta reaches over and gives my hand a squeeze, letting me know I'm not alone. I just pray that we'll find Rose alive, hiding in the treeline or something. We get out and start walking over.

The fire is still burning and there's a lot of smoke. The entire house is collapsed, aside from the brick fireplace on the side. It's too hot to go through the debris to find any evidence. I can't look at this anymore. I try to keep the thought that Rose may be laying in the ashes away, but it creeps back in my head. I feel the panic rising inside me so I go to look around the property, hoping to find something good. I run into the the trees surrounding the area and search for any sign of Rose or other guardian. I call out to her over and over again. The longer I call, the faster my hope that's she's still here and alive fades. Part of me wants to drop to my knees and break down, but the other part tells me to be strong for Rose. I need to save my strength for when I find her, and I will. I hear the the sirens of a fire engine getting closer and closer. I run over to where the other guardians are waiting.

"I called the Queen and informed her of what we found. She had the human fire department contacted to put out the fire, but we'll be doing the investigation, with the stipulation that we'll share the findings with them." One of the guardians tells me. Fine with me. The sooner I can rule out that Rose is not among the ashes, the sooner I can find where she really is.

**Lissa POV**

Oh man. I can't believe how much homework I have, Calculus, Poli Sci and a term paper for English Lit. This is going to take me all night. At least I don't have as much as Christian. He's been putting off his term paper till the last minute and it's due tomorrow. Eddie on the other hand has it easy. The teacher's assistant in Political Science has a crush on him and let's him get away with late or half done assignments. At first he was embarrassed, but now he has no problem flirting with her for the extra help. Rose has definitely rubbed off on him.

"Lisss, have you seen my copy of The Handmaid's Tale? I can't find it." Christian yells from his bedroom. I swear that boy would loose his head if it wasn't attached.

"Did you check your bookbag?" I don't think he's even opened it yet. I bet he's going to try to guilt me into doing his assignment for him. Too bad for him I have my own work to do.

"Found it. Hey, have you read the book yet? What's it about?" he asks while walking into the living room where I'm trying to finish my paper. You have got to be kidding me.

"You haven't read it yet? Christian, how do you expect.." I'm cut off by a knock on the door. I throw my book on the couch while I get up to see who it is. I nearly fall over in shock when I see Alberta standing there. "Oh my goodness, Alberta. What a surprise. Please come in." I move aside to let her in, but she doesn't.

"Hello Princess, I just came to inform you that the Queen would like to see you and Lord Ozera in her parlor in ten minutes. Guardian Castile should also come too." she tells me.

"Okay. Do you know what it's about?"

"That is for the Queen to tell you. Ten Minutes." She turns and walks away. Hmm, I wonder what's going on. I get Christian and Eddie and we walk over to talk with the Queen. When we get there, I see Adrian and Tasha sitting and waiting while Dimitri and Alberta are standing on guard with a few other guardians I've seen around. Adrian looks a wreck. He has his head in his hands, elbows resting on his knees, slightly rocking back and forth. I look around the room for Rose, but she's not here. I take a seat next to Adrian.

"Adrian, do you know what this is all about?" he looks over to me and shakes his head before dropping his head again. The feel in the room is so depressing. Even Dimitri looks pained though you can tell he's trying to hide it. This isn't good. The Queen finally comes in and it looks like she's been crying. He eyes are a little red and puffy. Something is definitely wrong.

"I'm sure you're all wondering why you are here. I'll get right to it. I've had a team put together to track a certain Strigoi who has been after Adrian. This morning we found his hideout and a team of guardians were sent out to destroy him and his followers. We believe they were sucessful, but in doing so, they also lost their lives. Guardian Hathaway was the leader of the team and is believed dead." What? That's impossible. Rose can't be dead. It feels like someone let all the air out of the room because I can't breath. My head starts to spin as I try to take in what she just said. Christian pulls me to him and begins to caress my hair as he whispers to me. I can't understand what he's saying, it's all a blur.

"That can't be right. This is Rose we're talking about. She's the best." I say looking over to Christian shaking my head frantically. " She can't be dead. I would know. She can't be." I can feel the tears brimming in my eyes, but I won't let them fall. I have to be strong for Rose.

"I'm so sorry Vasilisa but we found this in the ashes of the house that burned down." she motions to Dimitri who brought a silver stake to me, her stake. It's the one Adrian bought her for a graduation gift. It still looks beautiful. Her name is engraved on it along with a rosebud. She takes that stake everywhere she goes. I take it from his hand and hold it tight against my chest. I feel Christian wipe the tears off my cheeks I didn't even know were flowing. I can literally feel my heart rip in two as the realization hits me, she's gone. She's really gone. Somebody pries the stake out of my hands as I sob into Christians chest. I look up to his face and see silent tears falling from his eyes. Seeing him cry makes my tears flow even faster. I feel Christian pick me up and walk away. He doesn't say anything to me all the way back to our apartment. He probably can't. He lays me down on my bed and climbs in beside me. He holds me close to him all night and lets me cry. I don't know how long I cried into his chest, before sleep finally claims me.

**Adrian POV**

I've been waiting around all day for any word from or about Rose. I left so many messages on her phone, I filled up her voicemail. The waiting is the worst. I think back to the dream we shared last night and realize she was hiding something from me, again. The way she started to panick as she was waking up. How she clung to me for dear life as if trying to stay with me in the dream. The way she told me to never forget how much she loves me, as if it was the last time she might ever see me. I should be mad that she lied to me, but I'll do anything just to have her walk through my door right now.

I've been a pest to everyone all day. Even my aunt, the Queen, refused to see me. That only solidified my suspicions that she knows where Rose is and why. This feeling I've had all day hasn't gone away, but is more of a background hum know. I haven't eaten all day and I feeling a little weak. I don't really have an appetite right now, but Rose would be pissed if didn't take care of myself in her absence. I walk down to the feeders and get my daily dose of blood to keep my strength up. I head back to my apartment, feeling better, and an idea hits me. I run the rest of the way, slamming the door open as I head to my bedroom. Why didn't I think of this sooner? I'll try to dreamwalk with her. I know it's a long shot, but at least I'll feel productive. I lay on my bed and get comfortable and concentrate on Rose. It's not hard to do since I dreamwalk with her all the time. I focus on her mind and try to reach her, only to feel like I'm running into a wall. I've never felt that before. It's not like it feels when she's awake and I can't reach her. It feels like there is a barrier up, keeping me out of her head. On one hand, that pisses me off. But on the other, it gives me hope that she's still alive. In trouble, but alive.

I'm about to try again when there is a knock at the door. I sprint to the door hoping for word on Rose. I open it to see Guardian Petrov at my door. I thought she still worked at St Vlads.

"Lord Ivashkov, the Queen would like to see you in her parlor in ten minutes." she says with no emotion in her voice, but her aura tells me another story. She's sad, very sad. This isn't good. I thank her and run back to my room to throw my shoes on. Finally, I'm going to get some answers.

I practically run over the guard standing outside the parlor door. I've waited all day for some fucking answers and I'm not going to wait a second more. I walk in and see Tasha sitting down and Dimitri standing by the wall, in guardian mode. I go right to him and look him in the eye. I cringe at what I see on his face, though he's trying his best to keep it as stone. I don't even bother to ask what he found out, he probably can't tell me anyway. I sit over by Tasha, who looks confused as to why we're here.

"Do you know what this is about? Dimitri couldn't tell me. Is this about the Offensive Magic Committee?" I want to scoff at her for thinking of something so trivial right now, but she probably has no idea that Rose has been missing all day. I just shake my head at her, not wanting to talk right now.

Oh god, more waiting. I hate this. I feel like I'm going to burst is someone doesn't give me some answers right now. I rest my head in my hands and start rocking in my seat to ease the feeling of panick rising inside. I here the door open and footsteps walking my way. It's probably Lissa and Christian. I feel someone sit down next to me. "Adrian, do you know what this is all about?" Lissa asks. She's been at school all day and is just as clueless as Tasha. I look up to her and shake my head. I don't think my voice would cooperate with me right now, so why bother. My aunt walks in followed by the usual guardians and sits in front of us. I look at her face and see the tell tale signs that she has been crying. That's unusual for her. She's very good at keeping her feelings out of her work ruling our world.

"I'm sure you're all wondering why you are here. I'll get right to it. I've had a team put together to track a certain Strigoi who has been after Adrian. This morning we found his hideout and a team of guardians were sent out to destroy him and his followers. We believe they were sucessful, but in doing so, they also lost their lives. Guardian Hathaway was the leader of the team and is believed dead." My entire world stopped. They think she's dead. They aren't going to go look for her. I know she's still alive, I can feel it. I don't think I moved or even breathed for quite a while. I could hear crying all around me, but I'm just numb. This is unreal. They're telling me she's dead, but she's not.

I glance over to see Christian picking up an hysterical Lissa and walk her out with Eddie on their heal. Tasha places a hand on my shoulder in an attempt to comfort me. "Oh Adrian, I'm so sorry." she says through her soft sobs. The fact that everyone is so resigned to believe that she's dead is really starting to piss me off. I stand up and let Tasha's hand fall away. I don't need comforting right now, I need to find Rose.

"She's not dead. So stop this nonsense and go look for her." I say to Tatiana with an edge I've never used with her before. But instead of being scared or mad at my words, she looks at me with pity.

"Adrian, I know how much you loved her, but she's gone. Look." she says as she motions to Dimitri. He's holding a silver stake in his hand. At first I don't understand what she's on about, until I notice the etched rosebud on the side. It's the stake I gave Rose for graduation, when I found out she was assigned to me. It's her favorite. I take it from his hand and just stare at it. She never goes anywhere without it. No, this doesn't mean anything. She's still alive.

"So, she dropped it before she escaped. Why are you so sure she's dead?" I look to Dimitri for answers since I assume he's the one who found it.

""The house they were searching was burned to the ground. I found this not far from one of the bodies." I take in the information and close my eyes trying to fit it all together. I can see how they would think she's gone, but the feeling inside me is telling me otherwise.

"How do you know the body was her? I'm telling you, she's not dead. She needs our help. We have to help her." I plead to my aunt.

"Adrian, I know this isn't what you wanted to hear, but you have to accept the fact that she's gone. We have retrieved all the bodies and are conducting DNA tests on all of them to ensure that Stephan is among the dead. It's going to take a few weeks to get the results back, but then you'll have your proof of her death. I just hope it doesn't take that long for you to accept it." She says sternly. I know the truth. And the truth is she's out there somewhere, waiting for me to come find her. And that's exactly what I plan on doing, with or without anyones help.

I turn away from everyone and head for the door. When I get to the threshold, I stop and turn around to address them. "You may have all wrote her off as dead, but I can't, I won't. I know she's alive and I'll find her and bring her back." I turn and walk back to my apartment as fast as I can. I grip her stake in my hand, feeling the silver burn into my palm. "Don't worry baby, I'll find you, if it's the last thing I do."

**I just love Adrian. Wish him luck. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review.**


	29. Chapter 29

**Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. You're awesome!**

**I don't own Vampire Academy, so please don't sue me.**

**Rose POV**

Ugh, what is that smell? It smells old and damp. Oh god, my head hurts, I'm thirsty and my nose itches. I try to scratch it but notice that I can't move my arms. I open my eyes to find myself in some sort of old room with no light except the moonshine coming in from the window behind me. By the look of the shadow on the side wall, the window has bars over it. I look around and see that the paint on the walls is majorly peeling, mold is creeping up the sides and the floors are covered with dirt. This place has obviously been abandoned for some time. How the hell did I get here, anyway? Think Rose. I remember killing Strigoi in a hallway. Smoke. I remember smelling smoke. Scenes start flashing before me, Conner pushing me toward the door, seeing the ceiling collapse on him, fire everywhere I looked, burning down the house, then blackness. Someone saved me and brought me here. Where here is I don't know. Considering that I'm tied by my wrists, ankles and waist to a wooden chair, I don't think I'm going to like whoever my rescuer is.

I pull and twist with all my might at my wrist and ankle restraints, but they don't budge. They only thing I accomplished was tiring myself more and wearing my skin raw. I look around to see if I can find some sort of weapon I can use if I ever do manage to free myself, but the room is completey empty apart from me and my seat. Well, I can't see behind me because of the high back chair. For all I know there could be an arsenal of medieval weapons waiting for me to play with them. That would be so cool. I've always wanted to try out some of those, like the ball and chain. I wonder how long I've been out. Of course there's no clock in here, but it's still dark, so hopefully it's still the same day. I hope Adrian is alright, and Dimitri. He's not going to be too happy with me when he wakes up. I wonder if any of the other guardians were able to get out and get help. I'm getting so tired. I'll just take a little nap and then try to figure out a way out of here.

I wake up to what feels like thousands of pins and needles being jabbed all over my body. I open my eyes to see that I'm completely underwater, upside down, and still strapped to the chair. I try to hold my scream in since I don't want to let out all the air I'm holding. Panick has taken ahold of me as I thrash in the chair trying desperately to free myself from the straps. My lungs are in pain as I fight the urge to exhale and inhale, knowing I'll just breath in water and drown. I can feel my heart pound in my chest and I close my eyes and pray that whoever's in charge will get me out of this hell, quick. Just when I think I can't go a moment longer, the chair tips forward, lifting me out of the water. I gasp as much air into my lungs as I possibly can. Holy crap, that was awful. I shake my head to get the water out of my eyes and face so I can see what asshole is doing this.

Standing in front of me with a huge smirk on his face is non other than Stephan. Why am I not surprised? I glare at him as I try to get my breathing under control. He steps closer to me and leans down so he is inches away from my face. "Oh good, you're awake, my pretty Dhampir. How are you feeling? Scared, panicked?" Is he kidding me? He looks like he's enjoying my position a little too much. Well, I don't plan on entertaining him.

"Actually, that felt rather invigorating. Nothing like a splash of cold water to wake you up in the morning." I tell him with a smirk of my own. The scowl that now plays on his face tells me he isn't liking my response. I watch him walk over to a lever on the side and pull it toward him. I feel myself falling back and I take in a big breath of air before going back into the cold water. I keep telling myself not to move or panick. That'll just please him and there's no way I'm going to do that. I try to keep myself calm by focussing on something. I open my eyes and see a red tile on the wall and I stare at that. It seems to work because it seems like no time at all until he brings me back out of the water.

"Was that just as invigorating as the first dunk?" he ask stepping closer to me again. I wait a second until he is closer and then I spit the water that seeped into my mouth that last time, right in his face. The next thing I know, my left cheek is stinging from the slap he gave me. Shit, that hurts. I slowly turn my head back to face him and give him a little smile.

"Gee Stephan. I didn't figure you for the bitch slap type. I actually think lower of you now, and I didn't think that was possible." I see the anger in his face and I laugh internally that his game isn't going the way he planned. He walks over to the lever again and pulls it, sending me backwark. But this time as I enter the water, I yell "Bombs away!" before plunging in. Again, I find my tile and focus on it. He's keeping me under longer this time. I slowly release some air from my lungs to relieve some of the pressure. All the air is gone now and the pain is unbearable. My head is getting fuzzy and I feel like I'm about to pass out when I feel myself being brought back out of the water. Filling my lungs with air again feels so good as I gasp and cough.

He walks to me again and reaches over and grabs a handful of my wet hair and pulls it hard. I grit my teeth to keep from making a sound as my face is looking up at his pissed off expression. To say he doesn't like me would be a safe bet. "I do not advise insulting me. The next time you go in the water, you're not coming back out." he snarls. The look in his red ringed eyes tells me he's serious. I don't say anything back to him, just work on getting my breathing under control. He releases the hold he has on my hair and backs away, never taking his eyes off me. I watch him as he paces back and forth in front of me. "You should be thanking me for pulling you out of that fire. Of course, everyone thinks you're dead like the rest of them." he says with a smile. "I thought it was a pretty good plan, myself. All the bodies are burned beyond recognition so they believe you are one of them, especially with your stake left in the ashes. Poor Adrian will be so distraught and miserable. Killing him will just be relieving him of his misery, so he lives, for now." Relief washes over me knowing he's still alive and will be for a while.

My body starts shaking and my teeth chatter as the cold from the water and air start to get to me. The wet clothes are sticking to my body and I look down and notice that my bra is very visible through the wet fabric. I look up at Stephan through the hair that has fallen in my face and see him staring at my chest, thinking about something. I don't have a good feeling about this. "But what should I do with you? So many options. I could kill you right now, but that wouldn't be any fun, now would it? I could awaken you, but that didnt' work out too well the last time I tried that." My eyebrows raise on their own, when he mentions that last part. He tried to turn me before? I wonder what went wrong. "You're wondering what happened?" I nod and he continues. "You seem to have a very strong life force, and when I forcefully awakened you, you ran straight to a guardian the first chance you got and let yourself be staked. We could've been together forever, but you denied me again. I won't make that mistake this time." Oh thank god. At least I don't have to be worried about that. "No, I think you'll better serve me as my bloodwhore." My eyes go wide when he says this. I remember when Eddie was used as a feeder in Spokane and how out of it he was. This is going to make escaping this place a lot harder. Plus, the thought of him touching me makes me want to vomit. "What do you think pretty Dhampir?" he asks like my opinion really matters.

"I h-hope I give you food poisoning." I tell him with a smile on my face, teeth chattering. I'm a little nervous he's going to dunk me in the water again, but instead he laughs. Talk about mood swings. Since he's in a good mood now, maybe I can get some information out of him. "So Stephan, where exactly are we? S-some sort of hospital?"

"Rose, do you really think I'll tell you?" he asks amused.

"I f-figured it was worth a shot." I shrug. "I mean, if you don't plan on l-letting me escape, what harm is there in t-telling what kind of place this is. That is unless you're af-fraid I really can get away. Then I can see why you'd w-want to k-keep it secret." Fuck, I'm cold.

"I know you can't escape from this place. It was designed to keep people in." Hmm, maybe this place was a prison at one time. Or a nut house. That would be fitting for him because he's completely insane. The smile that was on his face disappears as he realizes he revealed more than he intended too. Sucker! He crouches down right in front of me and his sick smile returns as he moves my wet hair away from my shoulder, revealing my bare neck. He lets his fingers trail down my neck, over my collarbone to my protuding nipple. I said I was cold. I jerk myself away from him as much as I can, which isn't much considering my current condition strapped in this chair.

"Don't. Touch. Me." I say with as much venom as possible. He lowers his hand and places it on my thigh. He begins to rub his hand along my leg in what would normally be a comforting gesture if he were anyone else. I try to move my leg away from him, but he digs his nails into my thigh, causing a lot of pain, so I stop. I don't let the pain show on my face though. He looks into my eyes and I feel that hazy feeling of compulsion coming over me. I can't seem to look away no matter how hard I try. I scramble in my head to put up mental blocks to save me from his influence, but they aren't strong enough.

"You're not going to resist me, are you?" he asks in a smooth, calm voice.

"Of course not." Why would I do that? He brings his mouth up to my neck and I can feel my heart begin to race and a smile spread across my face in anticipation of his bite. There is a voice in my head screaming at me to fight, but I don't want to. I feel the sharp pain as his fangs pierce my tender skin, but that is quickly replaced with the most wonderful feeling I've ever felt. It feels like all my troubles have melted away and joy and love are filling me up. I never want this euphoria to end, but too soon he pulls away, wiping my blood from his mouth. I feel dizzy and so tired. My head drops down as I don't have the strength to hold it up any longer, but my smile remains. I barely hear him walk out as I drift off to a sweet slumber.

I feel the sun warming up my back and the sand beneath my bare feet. I sit down and run my fingers through the sand at my sides making random patters. I look up and see the blue endless ocean ahead of me. I'm not sitting here long before I hear my name being shouted from somewhere behind me. I look back and see Adrian running to me. I stand up and wait for him to reach me. He slams into me and we both go tumbling into the warm sea water. He grabs my face in his hands and plants kisses all over me. "Oh god, you're alive! I knew it." he says between kisses. I start to laugh at his excitement and try to get him to calm down.

"Adrian, slow down. Yes, I'm alive." He stops kissing my face and looks me in the eyes with a huge grin on his face.

"I love you so much." he says right before crashing his lips to mine, not letting me return the sentiment. I return the kiss with as much enthusiasm as him as the waves wash over us.

"I love you too." I say as I pull away to look at his gorgeous eyes.

"Where are you, Rose?" his face suddenly serious.

"I'm not really sure. I think it's an abandoned old prison or asylum. Stephan said it was made to keep people in. There are bars on the window I'm in and some water torture chair I'm sleeping in right now."

"I'm going to find you, I promise. I'm just so happy you're alive and I finally got through to you." He kisses me again, as if starving for my lips. I know how he feels. Finally, we get up off the sand and go lay down in the hammock in the shade. He wraps his arms around me tightly as we sway with the breeze.

"I knew you were alive. No one believes me, but I just knew you weren't dead." he says as he rubs my arm up and down. "What does it feel like to be bonded with Lissa?" That question came out of the blue.

"Well, her emotions are usually like a hum in the background, until something causes her to feel something strongly, then the feeling is more noticable. Why are you asking me this?"

"I've had this feeling that been getting stronger the past few days and I know it's connected to you somehow. I think we bonded when I brought you back to life. Instead of you feeling my emotions like you do Lissa, I feel you. It's not really emotions though, just a presence letting me know you're still alive. That's how I knew you weren't dead." That's interesting. Of course it would be more helpful for me if it was the other way around. But having both of their emotions as well of my own would be too much.

"Did any of the other guardians make it out? Conner?" Stephan said that everyone died, but I don't trust him.

"No, unfortunately. The fire destroyed everything, except your favorite stake. I have that. I'll bring it with me when I find you." I want to argue with him and tell him to stay put, but I do need help getting out of here.

"Promise me you won't come alone. At least have a few guardians with you for protection. Stephan is still alive and won't hesitate to kill you if he finds you."

"I promise. Once I figure out where you are, I'll have an army of guardians coming to bust you out." Sounds good to me. I turn over to face him better and give his a kiss. We pull away and just look at each other when a warm breeze plays with my hair. Adrian gasps when he notices the two little punture wounds on my neck. He starts to say something when the whole scenery starts to fade away. I pull him in quickly and hold on tight as I begin to wake up. "I love you." he says before vanishing from my sight.

"I love you." I say hoping he heard me. I open my eyes to find that I'm laying down on a cot in a different room with dry clothes on. Well, at least this is a step up.

**Yay! Rose is really alive! But you knew that all along, huh? Thanks for reading and don't forget to review.**


	30. Chapter 30

**Thanks for all the wonderful reviews, they mean a lot. You might need a tissue toward the end of the chapter. Just a little warning.**

**Do I own it, no I don't. Would I like to, yes I would. Is it ever going to happen, probably not.**

**Adrian POV**

I am so freakin' happy right now I want to run up and down the halls yelling "My girlfriend is being held captive by a deranged Strigoi and I couldn't be more thankful." I'm sure I'd get some confused looks, but who cares. She's alive! I knew it. My Rose is alive and well. My heart is racing a mile a minute as I jump out of bed and grab the closest pair of pants I can find. I practically fall over trying to get my leg in as all the thoughts of what I need to do to get my Rose back swirle through my head. First thing I need to do is tell the others that they can stop grieving now. I just hope they believe me.

I get to Lissa and Christian's door and start banging on it. The sun hasn't actually set yet, so I know they're home. I bang some more impatiently, on the verge of breaking the door in if they don't hurry their asses up and open it! Finally, Christian, who looks like he hasn't slept all night, lets me in. His eyes are red and puffy probably from crying over Rose's death. I don't blame him for the angry look he's giving me with the smile I can't seem to wipe off my face. "What reason do you have to be smiling like that? Your girlfriend died yesterday and you look like you just won the lottery." he fumes quietly, most likely trying not to wake Lissa. But I need to talk to her too, so I don't bother keeping my voice down.

"She not dead. I found her. I dreamwalked with last night and she's alive!" I yell. Christian's eyes look they're about to pop out of his head.

"Are you sure? Maybe you just had a regular dream where you just wish she was still here, man. Finding out Rose is dead is quite a shock, especially for you, being in love with her and all." He's still trying to keep his voice down.

"No, she's really alive. Stephan is keeping her captive someplace. Besides, I can feel her. She's not dead." I'm getting excited all over again that my love is still out there somewhere, living.

"What did you say?" I hear a small, weak voice ask. I look over Christian's shoulder to see a very worn out Lissa leaning against her bedroom door frame, arms crossed over her chest. Poor thing looks like she's been through hell. I know she'll understand. Christian walks to her and puts a protective arm around her shoulders. I carefully step closer to her like one would a frightened child, cautious of her fragile state.

"I made contact with her in her dream last night. She didn't die in the fire. Stephan grabbed her before the house collapsed. He has her locked up in some abandoned prison or hospital somewhere." I can see the hope come alive in her eyes as she listens to me. Christian still looks skeptical, most likely trying to protect his and Lissa's heart.

"She's alive?" she asks with a smile growing on her face and tears streaming down her face. I nod my head and she grabs me and pulls me into a tight embrace. "Thank you for not giving up on her." she sobs on my shoulder. I know Lissa's love for her rivals my own. They've been through so much together that I know the news that Rose died was killing her. She pulls away after a few minutes and wipes away all the tears on her face and looks at Christian and me with a serious face. "What do we need to do to get her back home?"

"Well, first thing we need to do is make a list of all the abandoned prisons, hospitals or asylums in the country. I don't think he's had time to go too far. Then we get a team together and bust her out." I think the simplest plans are the best. "We need to get the others together to discuss this. Christian, call Tasha and Dimitri and have them come over here. Lissa you call Eddie and whoever else you think can help." I'm getting excited knowing I'm finally doing something productive to get Rose back.

"It's a littlle early, don't you think?" Christian hesitates with his phone in hand. I'm about to say something but Lissa beats me to it.

"I don't care how early it is, call your aunt and get them over here. We need to get Rose back." she said with more authority than I've ever heard come out of her. Go Lissa.

It's only been about fifteen minutes since the phone calls were made, but everyone came promptly. We all look exhausted and excited at the same time. Surprisingly it didn't take too much convincing to get them to believe that I was right all along and that Rose is alive. Mia brought coffee for everyone and Lissa was on her laptop finding possible places Rose could be held in. I didn't realize how many abandoned facilities there were. We're going to have to narrow the list down somehow or this search is going to take forever.

"Are there other Strigoi there or is it only Stephan?" Dimitri asks.

"I don't know." I say, still with a smile on my face.

"What kind of security system is in place?" Dimitri goes on.

"I don't know."

"Is she being restrained or can she move around?" he continues with the questions.

"I don't know." smile now gone.

"You don't know much, do you?" he's starting to get irritated with my lack on knowledge. I'm also frustrated I don't know more either.

"I told you everything Rose told me. I'll try to reach her again and get more information, but she might not be in a position to give us more. If I have to go to every single place on that list to find her, I will. You don't have to tag along if you don't want to." I jump down his throat. I think the combination of little sleep, stress and Spirit darkness is fueling my anger at the moment, and Dimitri is the unfortunate target. I think I just woke up the beast, because the angry look on his face as he stands up to face me scares me a little. Of course, I won't let him know that as I stand face to face with him.

"If you think I'm not going with you to find Rose, you're crazy. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be standing here right now. I owe it to her to get her out of danger." he says through clenched teeth. I can see a vein on his forehead throbbing as his eyes burn into mine.

"Dimitri, what do you mean about not being here because of Rose?" Tasha asks confused by his statement.

"I was supposed to be on the raid yesterday." Everyone in the room gasps realizing he could've been killed in the fire with the other guardians. "Rose pulled me aside before we were to leave and told me she didn't want me going. She didn't want to risk my life before I get to see my little girl be born. I thought I had convinced her that by fighting together we could accomplish our mission successfully, but she knocked me out when my back was turned and left without me." The mental picture of Rose hitting him over the head and knocking him unconscious tickles me. A laugh escapes my lips, but I gain some control when he shoots me a deadly glare for my slight outburst. I'm not the only one to find this funny when I look at the others in the room sporting amused smiles.

"Well, Rose will go to great lengths to protect the ones she loves. I think Rose has saved all of our lives at one time, except Tasha." Lissa reminds all of us. It's true, between the incident in Spokane, Lissa's kidnapping, Dimitri's recent 'accident', and all the times she's killed Strigoi guarding me, we all do owe her our lives.

"Okay, are we all onboard to find Rose and get her back?" Stupid question, I know, but needs to be asked. Everyone confirmed that they would do what they needed to help. "I think I'll go visit my aunt and see if we can get some guardians to help track her down and get her out of wherever she is." Not wanting to waste any more time, we all get to work doing what we can to find her.

I go to see the Queen and see Celeste typing away on her keyboard. "Celeste, how is my favorite cougar doing?" I ask with my million dollar smile that Rose once said should be illegal. She blushes when she looks up at me and smiles.

"Oh, Lord Ivashkov. What am I going to do with you?"

"Well, if I didn't need to see my aunt right now, I could think of a couple things." I tease.

"Behave yourself. I'm old enough to be your mother." she laughs. "Let me see if the Queen can fit you in." I walk over to the chair by the door and wait for Celeste to work her magic for me once again. "Go right on in Lord Ivashkov. Her Majesty will see you now." I walk around her desk and give her a big kiss on her cheek.

"Thanks doll." I say as I walk through the door to the Queen's parlor. She walks in through a door on the opposite side the room, looking exhausted and holding an envelope. I give her a hug before sitting down to talk to her. Just as I am about to speak, she interupts me.

"Adrian, Rose asked me to give you this in the event she didn't return. I know you are convinced that she's still alive, but I think you should have this regardless." she hands me the envelope and dabs the corner of her eye with a tissue. "I want you to know that Rose and I got along rather well, despite what the rest of the world saw. I've come to think of her as a good friend. She was the only other person, besides you, that would be brutally honest with me. I liked that about her, and hated that about her." she chuckles. Wow, I never knew this side of my aunt, or Rose, before. Hopefully knowing that she's so fond of Rose will benenfit my crusade.

"Aunt Tatiana, the reason I came to see you this morning is because last night I was able to contact Rose through her dream." She knows all about my ability to dreamwalk and see auras and heal. I sit there silent for a moment, letting this information sink in. When she doesn't say anything for a few minutes, I continue. "She's alive, but Stephan is holding her captive in some old prison or asylum somewhere. I'm requesting help to find and retrieve her." She looks at me with mixed emotions showing on her face. She looks happy to hear that her friend is still alive, but also sad.

"Oh Adrian, it isn't that easy. I can't send out anymore guardians to rescue one, even if the one is Rose." Anger shot through me at that moment and I bolted up from my seat. A guardian I didn't even know was behind me, grabbed my shoulders to keep me in place. I didn't even realize what I did until that second. I shrug off his hands and sit back down in my chair.

"How can you say that? This is Rose we're talking about. Your friend and the woman I love. We can't just give up on her." I fume. I look down at my hands and see that they're clenched into tight fists, my knuckles turning white.

"Adrian, I said it isn't easy, not impossible." she says, getting my full attention back. "You will need to get permission from the council. You need seven of the twelve royal families to agree to give you the help you need. I'm assuming Rose's friends, the Ozera's are going to be involved in your rescue plans?" I nod slowly, wondering what she's getting at. "Since using magic offensively isn't yet legal, you'll need to get permission from your Offensive Magic Committee. If you get the okay from them, swaying the council to back your mission will be easier. Good luck, nephew. I hope you can get her back." I rise from my seat and kiss her goodbye before heading home.

I plop myself down on my couch, frustrated about all the red tape and hassle I have to get through now. I decide to try to see if Rose is sleeping right now and dreaming. I relax myself and focus on her beautiful face, but I can't find her. She must be awake. Suddenly, I remember that I'm still holding the envelope my aunt gave me. I ponder whether I should open and read it. Technically, she didn't return from the raid, so it's fair game. I tear it open, noticing the red lipstick kiss on the back. I press the paper to my mouth, feeling the ghosts of her lips on mine. I unfold the page and run my hand over the writing, knowing that not too long ago she touched this very page.

_My Dearest Adrian,_

_I love you! You make me the happiest woman on the planet just by loving me. Thank you for being so patient and waiting for me to get out of my own way to finally admit that I love you with all my heart. I want you to know that my favorite daydream of all time was of the two of us happily married playing with our houseful of little Dhampir babies you always wanted to have with me. I know you would've been the best husband and father ever, and still can be. Don't let me get in your way of finding happiness with someone else. I know you will always love me, as I will you._

_I'm sorry the last time I got to see you we were fighting. If I would've known it was our last time together I would've made the most of it, kissing your wonderful lips. Please stay safe, for me, and live life to the fullest for the both of us. I'll be waiting for you on the other side. _

_I love you Adrian Ivashkov._

_Your Little Dhampir, Rose_

I don't even notice the tears streaming down my face until I see them hit the paper, right along the tear stains left by Rose. My heart swells knowing that there's still a chance to make Rose's daydream come true after all. I read the letter over and over again until I have it memorized. I wipe the tears from my face and get myself off the couch, folding Rose's letter back up and putting it in my wallet, taking it wherever I go.

**Just what Adrian needs now, more obstacles. Can you think of any royal family that might want to stand in his way to get Rose back? What did you think of Rose's letter? Personally, I got teary writing it. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review.**


	31. Chapter 31

**Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. They make my day.**

**Vampire Academy is not among my list of assets.**

**Rose POV**

The first thing I notice as I slowly wake from slumber, is the warmth surrounding me. I reach my hand up and feel one of those heavy wool blankets that tend to be itchy to bare skin on top of me. Below me is a rather lumpy mattress and a deflated pillow, but they feel like heaven right now. The last thing I remember before falling asleep is being deathly cold and wet. And bitten. That son of a bitch fed off me! I remember trying to fight off his compulsion, but it was too strong. My fingers automatically find the marks on my neck and I shudder as I think about how weak I am. I feel like it's my fault because I couldn't fight him off. I'm Rose Fucking Hathaway for goodness sakes. I need to start acting like it if I'm ever going to get myself out of here.

I remove the blanket from my body as I swing my legs around to the side of the bed. I'm still so tired and hungry. No, not hungry, ravenous. I don't even remember the last time I ate. I also notice that I'm not nauseus, so Stephan must not be close by. Only then do I realize that there is some faint sunlight shining through the dirty window. I stand up on the bed and take a peak outside through the iron bars. The sun is setting, casting shadows on the grass field that is surrounded by forest. Isolated, of course. Looking at the brilliant oranges and pinks lighting up the sky makes me smile, something I don't think I'll be doing much of in the near future.

I don't know why it took me so long, but I finally look to see what I'm wearing. It's a blue long sleeve button up shirt, and that's all aside from my undergarments. At least the shirt is long and goes down to just above my knees. I look around the room and I find myself in an old cell, complete with iron bars, a cot, a rusty radiator and a toilet, which is rather disgusting. I go to the bars and start pulling on them, hoping to find a weakness that I can use to break free. Nope. The metal is still holding strong, even with the rust that is covering it. Crap! I give the bars one last frantic shake in frustration when I hear something fall from above. I look up and see a hole in the brick wall above the bars. The opening is pretty small, but I might be able to squeeze through if I can knock more rock out. I know I don't have much time before Stephan shows up again since the sun is almost done setting.

I put my bare foot on the first rung of horizontal bars on my cage and start climbing to the top. I push against the edges of the hole, trying to remove more pieces of brick to widen it. I manage to get it a little bigger, but not much. Well, here goes nothing. I poke my head through easily, but I know that's not going to be the problem. Next I reach my right arm through and place my hand on the bars on the outside and try to pull my shoulders through the tight opening. Ugh, this hurts. The jagged brick is scraping my right side, even through the cotton material. I grit my teeth to keep from making any noise and alerting my captor of my escape attempt. Finally, my upper body is through and I rest for a second. I grip the bars tight as I try to pull my hips out of the hole. I have to wiggle through, brick cutting into my skin. I ignore the pain searing in my hips and thighs as I free myself. I roll out and land on my feet, back to the bars. I look down and see blood running down my legs from the cuts and scrapes my body received, but I don't have time to worry about that right now. I look down the corridors on either side of me, wondering which way to go. I guess it doesn't really matter, so I just start running down one. The sun has just dipped under the horizon, leaving the building dark and creepy. The floor is covered in dirt and paint chips that have fallen off the wall and the cobwebs everywhere seem to cling to me as I run past. I pass cell after cell until I get to a big iron door at the end of the hall. I pull on the handle and am happily surprised to find it unlocked. Score!

On the other side of the door is a stairwell landing. Now I have to choose to go up or down. Well, since I want to get out, down would be the better option. I fly down the stairs, hit the landing, and go down the next flight. I only stop when I see a blue payphone on the wall. Oh thank god! I run to it and pick up the receiver only to see that it's not even connected to the phone anymore. Nice. I slam the receiver back up and look at the phone more closely and notice the phone number on it, (814) 867-5309. I repeat it over and over to myself so that if I get in contact with Adrian again, hopefully they can track it down and find me. At least I know I'm still in the US since it has a Ma Bell label on it.

I continue to go down the stairs when my Stirgoi alarm goes off. Shit! I stop where I am and turn back around to go back up the stairs. I tip toe as quietly as I can so he, or they, don't hear me, but quickly too. As I go higher and higher, I check any door I see to find an escape or hiding space, but nothing. The nausea is lessening the higher I go, which is a relief, until I get back to the floor I originally started at. I peek through the little window in the big iron door to see if anyone's come to visit me yet and I see two Strigoi, a male and female arguing in front of my cell. I think someone's got some explaining to do to Stephan when he finds hears I got out. I don't intend on going back in there, so I hightail it up the stairs, hopefully to a way out of this place. I find another door unlocked that leads to the roof. Once on the roof, I run around looking for something, anything that will get me out of here. I was hoping for a fully fueled airplane, complete with pilot, waiting for me, but no such luck. All that is up here is an old water tower and a few sky lights. Well, that's not going to help. I walk over to the edge and look down. I must be up at least fifteen stories. I grasp the ledge tightly, feeling a little light headed as I comprehend the distance between me and the ground. Falling from this high might hurt a bit. I take a trip around the edge, looking for a fire escape to take me down.

When I finally see the hand rails to the ladder, I get so excited I let out a squeal as I run toward it. My happiness at my discovery soon fades when I find that the ladder is only about six feet long. That's not going to help. I can't believe this. So close, yet so far away. I sit on the ledge and hold my head in my hands as I try to figure a way out of here. I can't go back down the stairs because I'm sure there are at least two Strigoi looking for me. I can't get off the roof unless I want to fall to my death. What is a girl to do? Maybe I'll just have to hide in the water tower until daylight and try to sneak out again.

I get up to walk over to the tower when I hear the door that leads back into the building open up. Well hell, I can't get to the tower without being seen. Now what? I look back at the ladder and figure it's that or nothing. I climb down as far as I can and sqeeze myself between the building and the ladder, hiding myself a little better. I lay my forehead on a rung and close my eyes as I focus on keeping my breathing even and quiet. Oh Adrian, how I wish I was with you, cuddled up on my couch watching some cheesy movie together. I can hear footsteps getting closer and closer. My heartbeat increases as the distance between them and me gets shorter.

"I know she's up here somewhere. I can smell her blood." the male says. I take a peek at my legs and see blood running down from the scrapes I suffered crawling through the hole in the wall.

"Go check the water tower. I'll bet she's stupid enough to trap herself in there." I can sense the amusement in the females voice as she orders the other to investigate. Now I'm glad I didn't go with that plan, not that this is much better. I stay as still as possible for what seems like hours when the male shouts from inside the old tank.

"She's not here. Where could she have gone?" He sounds like his patients is wearing thin, not that Strigoi are known for having much anyway.

"Maybe she wised up and figured out that the only way she's getting out of here is death. Check the ground below for her body." Oh shit! They're surely going to see me if they look over the edge. There's nothing else for me to do but wait until my hiding spot is discovered. I wonder what they'll do to me when they find me. Maybe I shouldn't think about that right now. I can feel the sweat running down the side of my face, which is odd since it's actually very cool out.

"I know you didn't throw yourself off the building guardian. I can smell your fear. You should be afraid." the male taunts. "Come out now and we won't tell Stephan you escaped. You don't want to anger him. It'll just be more painful to you in the end." It sounds like he's trying to save his own ass more than mine. Besides, I don't think Stephan plans on going easy on me no matter what I do. So I stay still and wait for them to find me themselves. Maybe I'll get lucky and they'll pass right on by, not seeing me.

"Well, well, well." the female sings right above me. I look up and see her looking down, her blond curls hanging by the sides of her smiling face. "Looky what we have here. Thought you could get away, huh? Now, get your ass back up here." Yeah, like I'm going to listen to you.

"Screw you! You want me, you can come get me." I figure I'm either going to fall to my death, or be tortured to death. And there's no way in hell I'm going to be Stephan's bloodwhore. I hear her growl in frustration as she paces back and forth on the roof. The door to the roof opens and more footsteps join the others.

"Why is it that when I go to visit my guest, I find her cell empty?" Ooh, he sounds pissed. While those two try to explain themselves to Stephan, I look down and see that the rung below my feet is broken, half of it still hanging on. I use my foot to see if I can loosen it up so that maybe I can break it off and use it as a weapon. I put as much weight as I can on it, and I feel it give way. Now I just have to get myself closer so I can grab it, and I'm already wedged in here as it is. So I squeeze myself back to the outside of the ladder so I can squat down and pull it the rest of the way off. Yes, it worked! The end is pretty sharp and ragged, not a nice point like a stake, but it'll work. I'm not being too quiet since they already know where I am, but I don't want to get their attention back just yet. I get back into my original position, bar in hand, and wait.

The ladder starts to vibrate and I look up to see the male climbing down the ladder. He gets down level to me and gives me an evil smile. "Times up. You've had your fun, but now..." I stop him from finishing his sentence with a sharp metal rod stabbed in his heart. I know it won't kill him since it's not silver, but it will get him off the ladder. I watch as his eyes close and his body goes limp and releases it's hold on the ladder. His body takes only few seconds to hit the ground below. It lands with a sickening thud, causing me to grip the rungs tighter. Now what I'm I going to do? I just lost my only weapon and there are still at least two Strigoi left up there.

"Oh Rose, must you kill all my followers? Do you know how hard it is to find good help these days?" Stephan asks irritated from up above.

"Well, stop sending them after me and I'll stop killing them." What the hell does he expect me to do?

"What are you going to do now Rose? You can't hide on this ladder forever. Eventually you'll need to get off and come back up, and when you do, you'll be mine again." He has a point, not that I'll ever admit that to him.

"Well, I figure you can't stay on the roof forever either. The sun will come out tomorrow. Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow, there'll be sun." I sing. I hear him growl up above. I guess he doesn't like my singing. The ladder shakes again and I look up expecting the female to be making her attempt, but it's Stephan. I guess his patients wore out. I try to kick and push him off the ladder, but his grip is too strong. He grabs my arm so hard, I'm think the bone is on the verge of breaking. He pulls me closer to him and looks right in my eyes. Oh no. He's using compulssion again. I put up my walls, but again, they don't seem to be able to keep him out. He's just too old and powerful for me to defend against right now.

"Rose, you're going to climb back up the ladder where it is safe." he says calmly.

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea." I hear myself say. He climbs back up with me following. He extends his hand when I get to the top and he helps me up and over the ledge. As soon as I am back on the roof top, realization of what he did comes over me. "Damn it!" I really need to stop letting him do that to me. I look around and see that Stephan didn't come up alone. There are about ten Strigoi standing around watching me. Stephan looks back over his shoulder and two really big ones come over and each grab an arm. I struggle to get out of their grip, but it doesn't seem to be helping.

"Stop fighting my Pretty Dhampir, it'll do you no good. Take her back and chain her up." he orders. That doesn't sound good. My two handlers drag me to another cell and lock my wrists and ankles in shackles chained to the wall. This room has no window. The only light is coming from a few candles flickering on the floor. I am able to move my arms and legs, but not much. Stephan follows us in the cell once my restraints are in place and stands in front of me, smirk on his face. "I knew you'd be a handful, and you don't disappoint. You're like a wild horse that needs to be broken, and I will break you." Who the hell does he think he is? The Rose whisperer?

"Many have tried, all have failed." I say even though that's not entirely true. Dimitri had a huge effect on my behavior, but he doesn't need to know about that. Stephan chuckles at my response.

"Oh, don't worry, you'll come around to my way of thinking soon enough. You just need a few days to think about it. A few days without sleep will give you plenty of time to ponder your current situation and see reason." He turns and walks away with most of the Strigoi following. One remains to watch over me. I guess after last time, they don't trust that I won't find a way to escape. I try to wiggle my wrists out of the bindings, but I just end up shredding up the skin more. If I can't fall asleep, how am I going to talk to Adrian? Of all the punishments he could come up with, this is the worst.

I stand chained to the wall all night long. The only reprieve I get is when I'm unlocked for a potty break, which is really embarrassing. My eyelids are starting to get so heavy and my body is starting to ache with exhaustion. I feel my head drop in sleep but a punch to my gut brings me back around. I wake up and start coughing. That hurt. I open my eyes to see the Strigoi that sucker punched me walk back over to the opposite wall and lean up against it. He takes out a cigarette and lights it up. This act brings back thousands of memories of Adrian. A tear flows down my cheek as I think of him. I've got to fall asleep just long enough to give him the phone number so they can come get me out of here. "Hey, you know those aren't good for you. You can get lung cancer smoking those things." I tell my watcher. He lets out a small laugh as he takes a long drag.

"I don't think that in my condition I need to worry about cancer." he says. "It's nice to know you care, though." He reminds me so much of Adrian, it's scarry. Maybe I just need to deal with him like I would Adrian.

"You don't strike me as the follower type. You seem more like a leader to me." He eyes me intently, probably trying to figure out what I'm up to. "It's a shame Stephan's in your way. I'll tell you what I'll do for you. You help me out and I won't kill you when I escape. Then you can be in charge of your little group here." He laughs as he walks up closer to me. He takes another drag of his cigarette and blows the smoke in my face. Asshole!

"Really. What is it you want me to do to help you out? Unlock you and show you to the front door?" he sounds amused.

"No, nothing that direct. I just need to get a little nap, say ten minutes. Surely you can look the other way for a bit." I give him my best smile as he thinks it over.

"And what do I get in return?" he asks looking me up and down. His eyes on me like that makes my skin crawl, but I do my best not to show it.

"I already told you. I'll let you live when I get out of here." Apparently he doesn't have faith that I'll be leaving on my own accord anytime soon.

"That means nothing to me. I want something more. Something...sweeter." he says as he runs his fingers over my neck. Oh yuck. Considering all my options, I don't really have a choice.

"Fine, but just a taste. If you kill me, Stephan will be torturing you in my place. And if you don't abide to your end of the deal, I'll make sure Stephan knows exactly what you did. I don't think he'll take too kindly to you drinking from his well." The Strigoi ponders this for a second, and then moves my hair out of the way. I close my eyes and wait. The pain from his bite shoots through me, followed by the bliss of the endorphins. The next thing I know, I'm in Adrian's Grandmother's garden. I know I don't have much time so I start shouting for him to show himself.

"Rose!" he shouts behind me. He runs up and tackles me in a huge embrace. He pulls away and attacks my lips with such intensity, I can feel his worry and anxiety through the kiss. I pull away since I don't have much time to relay my message.

"No time. I have some information to help find me." I see him eyeing the bites on my neck and he looks pissed. I put my hand on the side of his face and make him look me in the eyes. "Don't worry about that. I'm fine." I can feel the dream start to fade already and I know I'm being woken up. "Adrian. 8148675309." I yell as I fade away. I just hope he got it all and can figure out what it means.

**I wonder if Adrian got the entire message. Does the phone number sound familiar? If you know where I got it, review and let me know. Review anyway and let me know how you think the story is progressing so far. Thanks for reading.**


	32. Chapter 32

**It sounds like we have a lot of 80's music fans out there. Dimitri would be so proud. The phone number is from the song 'Jenny' from Tommy Tutone. If you're too young to remember the song, ask your parents, they'll probably sing it for you.**

**I am not the owner of Vampire Academy. Poor me.**

**Adrian POV**

"Adrian. 8148675..." she faded away. Damn it! What is she trying to tell me? I pound my fist against the wall I'm leaning against here on the floor in frustration. I open my eyes to see light jade green eyes staring back at me. I jump at the sight of Lissa's face not two inches away from mine.

"Did you find her yet?" she asks. I've been trying to get into Rose's dreams for hours now to see if she had any more information that could help us track her down.

"Yeah, I found her but she didn't have much time to talk. She tried to rattle off a bunch of numbers to me but she left before I could hear it all." I let out a big breath and run my hand through my hair, trying to calm myself down. "She's been bitten again. That son of a bitch!" I yell. The thought of him touching her or drinking from her makes my stomach turn. I feel so helpless and pissed that I'm so unable to help her right now.

"What were the numbers she was able to tell you? Do you remember them?" Lissa asks grabbing a pad of paper and a pen.

"Umm, 8148675 was all I could hear. I don't know what the numbers are from or what they mean though. She didn't say. She just said they would help us find her." I can see the wheels turning inside Lissa's mind as she stares at the numbers, tapping the pen against her chin.

"Maybe they're part of an address, or zip code or phone number? Hmm, let me check it out." She walks over to her laptop and starts clicking away. I'm so tired right now from trying to get into Rose's dreams and just not being able to sleep knowing she's in trouble. Christian walks over to me and slides down the wall to sit next to me.

"Hey man, you should get some sleep. You look like shit, and you have a big day tomorrow." One thing I appreciate about Christian is that he doesn't sugar coat anything, just tells it like it is. He's right, I do have a big day ahead of me. I have a meeting with the Offensive Magic Committee to get the okay to use magic in a fight, and then I need to get permission from the Council to get guardian help to find and rescue Rose. The Council meeting is the one that's making me nervous. The Counsil is made up of the twelve Prince or Princess' from the royal families. The eldest member from each familiy is given that title. Since Lissa is the last of the Dragomirs, she is the Princess. At least I know I'll get that vote. I just need to convince six more that Rose is worth saving. Since the Council hearing is so last minute, not all members can attend and have appointed a representative nearby to attend in their place. Lord Conta, the one that's been harassing Rose, has been asked to stand for the Conta family. I know I won't get his vote. I just hope he doesn't have six friends on the Counsil that owe him favors. This should be interesting.

"Alright, I'll go try to rest. If Lissa finds something, anything that locates her, wake me up." Christian pats me on the back and nods. I drag myself out their door and back to my place. I don't even bother getting undressed, but plop down on the bed. I pull the pillow I stole from Rose's bed over to me and burry my face in it's softness, inhaling the wonderful scent that is Rose. I try one more time to get into Rose's dream, but she isn't there. Stay strong, Rose. I think to myself. I just hope Lissa figures out what the numbers mean soon, before it's too late.

My eyes pop open suddenly, waking me from my dreamless sleep. I look over to my alarm clock just in time to hear the beeping start. That, like never happens. I hope it's a good oman. I jump in the shower and go over all my arguments in my head that I will give the council today. I must be on autopilot because the next thing I know is being fully dressed, staring at myself in front of my mirror. I even managed to put on the shirt that Rose bought for me last Christmas. It's almost like Rose is guiding me along, picking out my clothes like she always did, does. I have to keep a postive attitude, for Rose's sake.

I get to the committee meeting early and practically bounce in my chair waiting for the others to arrive. I just want to get this part over with so I can get to the more important one. Tasha walks in and immediately comes over to me. "Are you ready Adrian?" she asks concerned.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Why does it seem that the more you want time to speed up, it slows down to a crawl? I sit and watch people stroll in like it's just another day. I guess to them it is. Finally, everyone is here and Tasha gets up to bring the meeting to order.

"We're going to start off today with new business. We have a request for a field test from Lord Ivashkov." she says and motions for my to begin. I stand up and face the others around the table.

"Well, it's pretty simple. We talk a lot about using magic and how it will benefit the guardians out in the field, but we have very few examples of it working. The biggest example is from the attack on St Vlads over two years ago where Christian Ozera and Guardian Hathaway, who was only a novice then, worked together to bring down more Strigoi than all the other guardians combined. Guardian Hathaway is now being held prisoner and I would like to use Moroi magic along with guardians to rescue her from Strigoi. The more real world tests we have, the better for our cause." I sit down and wait for the rebuttles. Of course, Emily is the first to stand to argue against me.

"So you want to endanger the lives of Moroi to save one guardian?" she says with disgust. My fists clench at my sides as I fight the urge to punch her face. Rose must still be guiding me, or she's really rubbing off on me.

"The Moroi who would come along would be volunteers. They are fully aware of the risks involved." I say as calmly as I can. I hope it pulled it off.

"And which Moroi have volunteered on this rescue mission?" she continues.

"Christian Ozera with fire and Mia Rinaldi uses water, and two Spirit users. Princess Dragomir and myself." Emily's eyes go wide with the mention of Lissa. That probably not a smart move on my part mentioning the last Dragomir, too risky.

"Oh, what about earth and air? If this is to be a true field experiment, shouldn't all the elements be represented?" Damn, she has a point. Unfortunately, I don't know any air or earth users who would help us. Just as I'm about to speak, Jake Mastrano beat me to it.

"I'll volunteer. My little sister Jill goes to St Vlads and just loves Guardian Hathaway. She spoke to Jill a few years ago and lit a fire in her about fighting with her magic. I'm an air user and would love to help get Guardian Hathaway back." I remember Jill. She worked with Christian after the attack at the academy, secretly of course.

"Thanks Jake. Now we just need to find an earth..." I was cut off by Amy Cooper.

"I'm an earth user and I'll help. I have lots of ideas on what I can do to help in a fight and I'd just love an opportunity to try them out." she gushes. Amy is really nice and very hyper. I can only take so much of her at a time, but right now, I don't care.

"Great, we have all the elements represented. Now can we have a vote as to whether we can use our magic without legal repurcussions?" I just want to get this over with before Emily thinks of something else to get in my way. Tasha must be thinking the same thing as she stands and calls for a vote. Everyone, except Emily, votes for us to use our magic in combat. One obstacle down, more to go.

Tasha and I walk out of the room, high on our victory, when Lissa comes running up to us with Christian and Eddie trailing behind. "I found her! I found her!" Lissa screams. It feels like my heart stops as I let her words sink in. She found her. The urge to just go charging out and get Rose without even bothering with the Council is so tempting, but I know we need more help.

"Where is she?" I manage to get out.

"The old Warren State Prison that was shut down almost twenty years ago. It's about a five hour drive from here." she hands me a map of Pennsylvania and has the location circled on red.

"How did you figure this out?" I ask.

"I thought that maybe she was giving you a phone number so I looked up the first three numbers, the area code and then compared the area to the list of possible hide outs and Warren fit. I'm not one hundred percent, but it makes sense." Her face lights up as she explains how she found the location. I just hope it's right. I pull her into a big hug and thank her over and over again.

I still have an hour before the Council meeting, so I run to my apartment and start packing some clothes and anything else I might need. I even go to Rose's room and get her some clothes to change into. I want to be ready to go as soon as I get more guardians from the Council. After everythings packed, I sit on Rose's bed and try one last time to reach her and let her know that I'm on my way soon, but I still can't get through. I was almost there, but it all faded before I was able to get in. She must have just woken up. Again. What the hell is he doing to her?

My stomach is twisted in knots as I sit here waiting for the Council meeting to start. I'm sitting at a little table in the middle of the room, facing a huge arched table that the twelve members will sit plus the Queen in the middle. Behind me is the gallery where Christian, Mia, Amy and Jake are seated. Tasha and Lissa are on the committee representing their families and Dimitri and Eddie are on duty standing at the perimeter. As I look to each one, we all have a look of nervousness about us. I just want this over with. Finally, everyone is seated and my aunt is the first to speak.

"Lord Ivashkov, you may state your business." she says formally. I take a deep breath and stand up to speak into the microphone next to my table.

"I am requesting the council that a group of Court guardians be allowed to go on a mission to rescue Guardian Hathaway, who was abducted from the raid two days ago. We believe to have found her location, but we need experienced guardians to help us get her out." I barely get my request out when Lord Conta speaks up.

"Why would we put the lives of more guardians at risk to save one?"

"Because she's a person. Her life matters. If there is a chance to save her, I say we need to do it."

"So if any other guardian were in this situation, you would be here fighting for their rescue as well?" I can see where he's going with this. He wants to expose our relationship.

"Honestly, it depends on the guarduian. Guardian Hathaway happens to be my guardian and a good friend of mine, so naturally I'm here advocating for her. I would hope all Moroi would do the same for their guardian who puts their lives on the line for us everyday." I'm hoping a little guilt will tip the votes in my favor.

"How do you even know she's alive and where she's at? The last I heard, she was assumed dead with the other guardians on the raid. Are they with her as well?" he has a smug look on his face I just want to wipe off his face with my fists. Rose really is rubbing off on me.

"I was able to contact her in her dream. I'm a Spirit user and one of my abilites is to visit people in their dreams and interact with them. She's being tortured by Strigoi in an old abandoned prison hours from here, alone."

"I hear that Moroi will be fighting along side with guardians on this mission." Prince Lazar mentions. "Are you saying that Guardian Hathaway's life is more important than their lives? Doesn't that seem unbalanced?" This guy is a friend of Conta's.

"The Moroi that are coming along have volunteered. And, I don't think it's unbalanced at all considering the number of lives Guardian Hathaway has saved in the past."

"Yes, but isn't that her job, what she swore to do when she became a guardian? She swore to lay down her life to protect the Moroi race. Plus with guardian numbers being so low now, I don't see how we can justify allocating such valuable resources to save one." Lord Conta speaks again. My temper is rising quickly. How dare he treat her like inventory.

"Yes, she did swear such an oath, but that doesn't mean she should be written off the books and left for dead. I believe that with the help of the Moroi offensive magic, we can save Guardian Hathaway and not loose any lives. It just takes careful planning by experienced guardians, that's why I'm here." I have to remind myself to keep calm and breath so I don't fly off the handle and ruin this.

I think that if you want to save your guardian, that is your choice, but the Court shouldn't have to risk the safety of many for one. I vote no." Lord Conta says. All the other members give their vote, and unfortunatly, the outcome is not in our favor. The final tally is 4 yes and eight no. I can't believe this. How can these people not see the absurdaty of all this. If I would've been the one that was taken, they'd be a whole army on the way to bust me out. My thoughts are interupted by the Queen.

"I'm sorry Lord Ivashkov, but the council has decided not to grant your request for extra guardians. I know the Council can't stop you and _your_ guardians for continuing on this mission, so good luck to you." The Queen says with a wink. Okay, I have permission to use offensive magic, and to search for her on my own, with the guardians already assigned to me, and the other Moroi. Hmm, there are seven Moroi coming, if I include Tasha. If each Moroi has two guaridans, that fourteen. That should be enough to form a plan and bust Rose out.

After we all leave the room, I motion for our group to gather by the side of the building. "Mia, who are your guardians?" I don't know Mia as well as Rose does and this topic never came up.

"Uh, I don't have any guardians. I'm not royal and I work in the heavily warded Court, so I never needed any." she shrugs. I get the scoop on the other Moroi and there guardian status. They need more guardians for these Moroi. Lucky for me, it's my job to assign guardians to a Moroi. I run to my office and start working. I give Mia two buly ones and continue until we all have evey Moroi with two guardians, even me. That was hard, replacing Rose. But, as soon as she's back, I can reverse the change, or should I? This will be a great time to talk to her about whether she wants to stay my guardian or be something more.

I gather everyone together in my apartment and tell them what I did. By tomorrow, all the new guaridan assignments will be official and we can leave for Warren, PA to get Rose back home.

**I hope they make it in time to save Rose. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review. I enabled the anonymous reviews so if you've been reading the story but aren't a member of FanFiction, you can still let me know what you thought of the chapter and story too.**


	33. Chapter 33

**I am not Richelle Mead and therefore do not own Vampire Academy.**

**Rose POV**

"Aaaagh!" I scream myself out of my dream with Adrian when a searing pain emmits from my thigh. What the hell? I open my eyes to see the smoking Strigoi smiling evilly at me. I look down to my leg and see that he has his lit cigarette pressed against the inside of my left thigh, burning it. He hasn't removed it even though I'm awake, and can smell the odor of burning flesh. "I'm awake! I'm awake! You can stop now." I yell in his face. Finally, he takes it away from my leg and brings it up to his mouth and inhales deep. If he blows the smoke in my face again I'll...*cough, cough*. Son of a bitch! Even though the cigarette is no longer touching me, the damage has been done and my skin is still burning. I try to rub the spot with my other leg, but I can't reach it. I can feel tears prickling in my eyes, ready to spill but I won't let them. No way am I giving this asshole the satisfaction of seeing that.

He walks over to his previous spot on the other wall and stares at me for a while with a smirk on his face. I hate when these guys think they're in control, even if the circumstances do give them the upper hand. Yes, I'm chained to a wall, I can barely move and my body aches. Yes, I'm tired and want nothing more than to get to sleep, though he won't let me. And yes, I'm bored out of my mind, but he forgot one crucial element that still gives me some leverage. He didn't gag me. We engage in our silent stare war, neither wanting to give in. I take in his appearance as I stand and watch him. He looks like he was human before being turned, too bulky for a Moroi, yet not enough for a Dhampir. He looks to be about my age, about six foot, sandy blonde hair cut short and toned upper body. He's wearing old jeans, boots and a tshirt, reminding me of a good ole boy. All he needs is a cowboy hat and a farmer's tan. Hell, he might of had one before he went pale and red eyed. He has a decent enough face that I'm sure all the country girls swooned over. He has nice eyes, well except for the red part. I could tell that they were blue once upon a time. His eyebrows are what really define his eyes. I bet he could do that cool one eyebrow thing Dimitri does.

I wonder if he used to be a nice guy. You know the type, holding the door open for women and walking little old ladies across the street. I bet he said things like "Yes, Ma'am", "No sir" and "Gosh mister, I was just helping your sheep over the fence." I don't even realize I'm laughing at my own stupid joke until he speaks up.

"You think something's funny?" I can hear a slight southern accent when he speaks, which makes me laugh harder. I'm just so tired, I'm finding everything funny. He apparently doesn't see the humor and looks like he's getting annoyed.

"I was just imaging what you were like before. What's your name anyway?" My eyelids are getting so heavy, I'm hoping having a conversation will help keep me awake. He doesn't respond to my question, just takes out another cigarette and smokes. Well, if he doesn't want to talk to me, I'll talk to myself. "I bet your name is Bille Jo Bob. I'll call you Bob for short." He still doesn't speak but gives a little snort when I name him. "Bob. Bobby. Boborino, Bob-a-lob-a-ding-dong. The Bobinator." I keep talking and giggling at myself.

"You need to stop talking now." he hisses. I guess he doesn't like the names I picked out for him.

"Oh Bobby socks, don't be like that. Hey, I'm thirsty." I slur. "Can you get me a wass of glater, ur, I mean wass of.... no, it's wass,... urgh, can I get something to drink?" Even my tongue is too tired to work right. I look at him with my puppy dog eyes that works on everyone, except Bob apparently.

"No, now shut the hell up." he demands. What a grump. Sleep is trying its hardest to pull me under, as I rest my head on my arm that's chained up above my head. I do my best to keep my eyes open, watching Bob watching me. I wonder how long he'll let me sleep before he wakes me up in some unpleasant way. I can see my eyelids slowly shut, like theater curtains after a performance. I will them open, only to see them fall again. I finally give up and let them stay down.

I feel like I'm floating on a warm dark cloud, weightless and safe. That is until something ice cold and wet splashes my face. I gasp as I open my eyes to see Bob with an empty glass in his hand. The water is dripping off my hair, down my shirt and streaming down my exposed legs to pool at my feet. I'm awake now. I can't help shivering as the air blows against the cold water on my skin. I lick my lips, trying to get as much water as I can, I'm so thirsty. "That was the 'wass of glater' you asked for. You want some hot coffee next?"

"No, I'm good." I say as I try to shake the wet hair sticking to my forehead. I wonder how long I was out. I don't know if it was the nap or the water, but I feel more awake now.

I think I've decided that Stephan isn't torturing me by keeping me awake. No. He's trying to bore me to death. I hate this! It's been hours just standing here counting all the bricks in the walls around me. "Hey Bobster, did you know there are 853 bricks in those three walls. Obvisously I can't count this wall, being chained to it and all. I don't suppose you could unchain me so I could finish the room? It's going to drive me crazy. You know what I mean?" I know I'm babbling, but I'm delirious. He seems to be ignoring me as he sits there doing some crossword puzzle. "Bob." Nothing. "Bobeeee." I whine. He glances quickly in my direction, but doesn't say anything. I don't like being ignored. Wait, he's not paying attention. I close my eyes and let myself fall asleep, hoping he'll keep doing what he's doing.

This time he decides to wake me up by adding some artwork to my stomach, with his long, sharp fingernail. I actually don't wake right away. By the time I realize what's happining and open my eyes and look down, he's halfway done. My shirt is unbuttoned and hanging open, giving him access to my bare abdomen. I can feel the blood trickling down my legs. It hurts, a lot, but I bite my lip to keep from making a sound. I can't see what the picture is because my chest is in the way. I want to ask, but if I open my mouth, a scream might escape. I try to move away, but that just makes him growl and dig his nails into my hip to keep me still. After about ten minutes of inscruciating pain, he seems to be done as he backs up and admires his work. I take a look, but there is so much blood, I can't see what the design is. "Hey Picasso, what the hell is it suppose to be?" I pant while trying to keep my breathing under control as the pain continues.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Let me clean that up for you." He leans down and begins to lick up the blood, making the picture more clear. I hear him moan as he tastes my blood, making me shiver. I just hope he doesn't decide to take a bite. The fear that I've been able to keep at bay all day starts to emerge as Bob rises up and stands just inches from my face, my blood still on his lips. He licks his lips slowly with a hungry look in his eye. My heart starts racing as his gaze drifts from my eyes to the pulsing artery in my neck. He inches closer, never taking his eyes off his target, as if in a trance. I try to distract him by calling his name and moving away as much as I can, but he doesn't budge. I've resigned myself to the inevitable bite, when my cell door bursts open and Stephan walks in. Bob's head snaps up and he backs away from me. Part of me is thrilled Stephan came when he did and the other part is dreading what he came here for.

"Am I interupting something?" Stephan asks. I look over to Bob to see what his answer will be.

"No, not at all." he smirks at me. I glare at him before turning my attention back to Stephan. He walks up closer and looks me up and down. I then remember that my shirt is open, revealing my bra and panties along with my new body art. I look down and see that Bob has carved what looks like a long stem rose beneath my belly button. It actually looks cool.

"Thomas, this is one of your best works." he compliments Bob, who I guess is really named Thomas. I like Bob better. Stephan turns back to me with a smile. "Thomas here was a rather talented upcoming artist a hundred years ago. You should be proud to wear his work."

"Well, you know what they say, an artist's work is more valuable after his death. So after I kill him, I'm going to be one hot commodity. Of course, I would've preferred he used a different canvass." The cuts on my stomach are still stinging and bleeding. Stephan walks over and traces the outline of my new rose with his finger. I wince at the pain it causes, which seems to please him as his smile grows at my discomfort. He brings his finger up to his mouth and sucks my blood off his finger. My stomach turns at the pleasure this brings him. He places his hands on my waist and runs his hands up and down my sides as he looks over my body. I don't like the look in his eyes as he does this. I've never been a particularly shy person, but I want nothing more than to hide right now.

"You're very beautiful, Rose. And I'm thirsty." Not good. I have to swallow down the bile rising in my throat as I think about what he wants to do to me. He looks back over his shoulder to two goons he brought with him I didn't even see come in. They proceed to unlock the shackles on my wrists and ankles. I instantly start to shake my arms and legs out. They were so stiff from being locked in one place for so long. I see the cell door is sitting open and I ponder quickly if I should make a run for it. Before I can talk myself out of it, I take off as fast as my rubbery legs will take me. Unfortunately I don't get very far when I feel strong cold arms grab me by the waist and pull me back into the room. I struggle as hard as I can to get loose. I kick and stomp and hit and throw my head back, hitting my captor in the nose. Whoever is holding me lets his grip loosen up enough for me to slide out and start running again. I can hear Stephan shouting something, but I'm not listening.

I have no idea where I'm going. All I know is that my body is tired, but the adrenaline is pushing me pretty good. Heavy footsteps are following me and the panick rising inside me is helping me run faster. I run down the maze of hallways, not knowing if I'm getting anywhere. For all I know, I'm running in circles. My heart is beating out of my chest and my breathing is labored. I find some stairs that only go up. I'm not sure what floor I'm on, just that I haven't seen a window down here at all, so I assume I'm underground. I take the steps two at a time until I get to the next floor. I open the first door I see and run down the hall.

Suddenly, I hear a loud crash, and I see and feel glass shatter everywhere. I fall to the ground and try to cover myself with my arms as best I can. When glass stops raining down on me, I look to see that all the windows have exploded. There is glass everywhere, and me in the middle with no shoes on. Well, shit! At least with the dirty windows gone, the sunshine is spilling in. I don't have to worry about Stephan or his followers getting to me at the moment. I wonder what in the world caused this mess. I stand up in the center of millions of shards of glass, not knowing exactly how to get across to the next door without cutting my feet to shreds. The best solution I can come up with is to use my shirt like a broom and sweep the glass away as I walk. It takes me a while to get to the end of the hall to the other big iron door. My feet are all cut up and bleeding pretty good dispite trying to brush the glass away. I peek out the little window and see another door about ten feet away. I rest my head against the cool metal, trying to clear my head. My whole body aches right now and I really just want to find a bed and go to sleep.

I pull the door open and run to the other and open it too. The room is dark and cold. I carefully walk forward, hands in front to warn me if I'm about to hit something. The nausea that has been a constant since my recapture yesterday suddenly got worse. Okay, this is not where I want to be. I quickly turn to go back to the glass room because at least is was filled with sunshine, when someone grabs my by the throat, choking me.

"You thought you could get away that easily, did you?" Stephan hisses in my ear. "Just because the cavalry is here, doesn't mean they're going to save you." Huh? What cavalry? Then it hits me. Adrian. He figured out the message and came to save me. Tears spill down my cheeks thinking about how close he is. I want to look into his loving eyes again and feel his arms around me. Stephan tightens his grip, bringing me out of my thoughts and back to him. "Hmm, history repeating itself. I wonder how I should kill the both of you this time. I don't want to get predictable. Where's the fun in that?" Oh shit!

**Sorry to just end it there, but it's late. I'll have the rest of the rescue mission up as soon as I can. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review and tell me how I'm doing.**


	34. Chapter 34

**Sorry for the long wait. I hope you enjoy.**

**I don't own Vampire Academy.**

**Adrian POV**

"I got shotgun!" I yell as I run up to one of the four SUV's the Queen loaned us for out 'trip'. She was also generous enough to loan us ear communicators, survielance maps and blue prints of the prison and extra weapons. I climb into the seat to find Dimitri at the wheel, Tasha and four other guardian are in the back. I pull out the highway map of Pennsylvania to unfold it, looking for the quickest route to Rose. "Hey Dimitri, it looks like the prison is off Highway 6, so if we take..."

"I know how to get there Ivashkov." Dimitri cut me off. "The other guardians and I studied the maps last night and found the quickest route to follow. Don't worry, we'll get there as fast as we can." I fold the map back up, disappointed not having something to occupy my time on the long trip. I sit back in my seat and close my eyes as the feeling pooling in my gut starts to consume me. The worry and the fear of what Rose is going through is making me nauseous. Is she being tortured? Is the bastard feeding off her again? Is she even conscious? The anticipation of getting her back is warring with the more negative feelings, causing me to fidget in my seat. My leg is bouncing up and down at warp speed and I find myself staring at the window I keep rolling up and down. I imagine running to her and taking her into arms and kissing her all over. My heart starts beating faster as I can already feel her warm body against mine, the way her lips perfectly fit with mine when we kiss, the silkiness of her hair as I run my fingers through it and the sound of her voice when she whispers my name. Oh my god, can't we go any faster?

"Adrian, I now you're anxious to get Rose back, but if you don't calm down, I'm going to light your hair on fire." Tasha growls from the backseat. Man, pregnant woman sure can be mean. I look back to her and see a very scary look on her face. I immediately straighten up in my seat and cease any unnecessary movement. I glance over to Dimitri and see a smirk on his face.

"You find something amusing Belikov?" I ask him.

"I'm just glad she has someone else to bitch about." Those pregnancy hormones must be something else if they can cause someone as nice and bubbly as Tasha to get cranky. I can just imagine how Rose will be when she's gets pregnant. I'll need to invest in some body armor. I can't help laugh at the picture in my head of me in a big padded suit getting smacked around by a very pregnant Rose. Dimitri gives me a puzzled look at my outburst. "What's so funny?" he asks.

"I was just wondering what Rose would do when she's pregnant if someone as nice as Tasha is going around threatening to light people on fire?" I laugh again. Dimitri joins me before we both stop with a shudder at the thought. That's going to be nine really rough months, but totally worth it. I can just imagine what our little Dhampir babies will look like. I hope the girls have her gorgeous hair and my eye color, her tan complexion, and striking features. Well, maybe not. I can just imagine all the boys I'll be having to beat away from my little girls. Maybe just having boys will be best. They'll be tall like me but with Rose's strength and deep brown eyes. Whether boy or girl, I know they'll all have Rose's fierce attitude and my cunning nature. Look out world, I hope you're ready.

I must have dozed off because I'm being shaken awake by Dimitri. "We're at the motel. Go put your bags away and feed if you need to. We leave again in thirty minutes." he tells me. I jump out of the car and go to pay for all the rooms. Luckily, my wonderful Celeste called ahead and had a bunch of rooms reserved for us. I have everyone roomed with their guardians, except me. I plan to spend some alone time with Rose when I get her back. I grab a backpack and put in a change of clothes for Rose, a couple bottles of water and her stake that was found in the ashes. Before I go back out to the cars, I sit in the bed and try to find her once more, but with no results. I'm not an overly religious man, but I send up a silent prayer that we find her alive and bring her home safely with no loss of life on our side. That hum that I've felt letting me know Rose is alive has gotten stonger the closer we've driven to the prison. I hope that means we're heading in the right direction. All the emotions I've been keeping down to help me get through the day are starting to boil over as my eyes water up and tears overflow. A sob escapes me as I grab a pillow and bury my face in it to muffle my cries. I quickly get a handle on myself and walk to the bathroom and splash cool water on my face. I take a few cleansing breaths and refocus on the task at hand. I have to be strong now. Rose is depending on me.

I walk out to the car to leave and see Dimitri and Christian arguing with Tasha and Lissa. "There is now way in hell you are coming with us in your state." Dimitri tells Tasha. He must have a death wish after what she threatened to do to me just because I was moving around too much.

"I can help, Dimka. Rose is my friend too. You need me." she pleads.

"And if you think you're keeping me away from Rose, Christian, you're sadly mistaken." Lissa growls. I know Lissa seems nice and harmless, but it's the quiet ones you have to watch out for. She can be pretty scary when she wants to be.

"Lissa, do you know what Rose will do to me when she finds out I let you come along? I'm sorry, but I like having all my limbs in their proper places. You and Tasha are staying here with Guardian Davis and out of danger." he says with authority. Of course with the death glares he's getting from the both of them, he quickly retreats back and gets into a waiting car. I walk over and try to help reason with them.

"Come on ladies, you know Rose will skin us all alive if we let you anywhere near the danger that awaits us. So please, if you care for us at all, stay here where it's safe. We'll bring her back to you as soon as we can." They both stare at me for a moment before conceding. After giving their men a hug and kiss for luck, they head back into one of the rooms with a guardian. We figure since it's still daylight, and Tasha is a fire user, one guardian should be sufficiant.

After a thirty minute ride, we find ourselves at the front gates leading to the now defunct prison. The gate was a huge wrought iron monster. The type you'd imagine guarding a haunted castle. Keeping us from opening the gate is thick chains and an emormous lock. Thankfully, someone thought to bring bolt cutters for just this occasion. With that obstacle out of the way, we plunge forward through the vast prison grounds until we see the enormous buildings in front of us. I knew the place was big, looking at the photos and blue prints, but nothing compares to seeing it in person. It's going to take forever to find Rose in this place. We all unload out of the vehicles and stand as a united front against inhabitants of this lair. I look over to Dimitri for instruction since he is head guardian on this mission. I know he wants to get Rose out of this hell hole as much as I do. Normally, knowing his feelings for her would be cause for jealously, but right now they fuel my cause, so I gladly accept it.

"We only have a couple more hours of daylight, so lets use that to our advantage. Jake, do your thing." he commands. I look to my right and see our air using Moroi step out of line in front of us and lift up his arms. Suddenly, all the windows around the building shatter as the air presses the panes of glass to their brink. The sound is deafening and our presence is surely known now. I just hope Rose isn't caught in the resulting shrapnel. We all cover our ears and cower to the ground to avoid getting hit with the flying glass ourselves. I must say, that was pretty cool. It took a lot out of Jake, though, as he collapses to the ground. His two guardians pick him up and take him to the vehicle that has the stores of blood we brought along for just this situation.

Dimitri then splits us into three groups. He, Christian, me and four guardians go the the left, Jake, Mia and five guardians go to the right while Amy and the rest of the guardians stay outside incase any Strigoi get out. Amy says she's more effective outside than in. We start walking to the nearest door, and I'm so nervous I'm starting to sweat. That feeling of mine is getting so strong, it's like it's pulling me toward Rose, I just need to follow it. Christian and Guardian Smith are in front and Dimitri is right by my side, with the rest of our group bringing up the rear. "How come you're not up there with Christian leading the way?" I ask Dimitri. He's the leader, you'd think he'd be leading.

"I promised Rose that I wouldn't let anything happen to you. I keep my promises." he says bluntly. Okay. Before we open the door leading into kitchen, I open my backpack to pull out Rose's stake and secure it to my belt. Dimitri gives me a questioning look, since Moroi don't usually use them.

"It's for Rose. You know she's going to want to help, no matter what condition she's in." I tell him. He considers this for a second and nods with a small smile on his lips. He knows I'm right. Smith opens the door and starts to walk in. My stomach tightes in knots as I follow. I don't know how guardians do this time after time. Hopefully I can convince Rose to marry me and leave this world behind so I never have to worry about her getting hurt again. We walk a few yards and come to a stairwell. Up or down? Smith starts walking up and we follow, but that feeling, that pull toward Rose, is telling me we're going in the wrong direction. I stop in my tracks, causing Dimitri to nearly knock me over.

"What's wrong?" he whispers. I don't know how to explain to him what my gut instinct is telling me as I shake my head. I turn around and start descending the stairs. "Where are you going?" he whisper yells at me. I don't stop because the pull is getting stronger. I don't have time to explain, needing to get to Rose as fast as I can. I can hear footsteps behind me, so I'm guessing he or all of them are following me. I get to the bottom and see that I am at the entrance of a large tunnel system. Of course, Stephan would have her locked away out of the sunlight. From where I stand, I have the choice of going in three directions. I start down my right, but it doesn't feel right, so I retreat. I try the middle corridor, but again, not good. So naturally I go down the left tunnel and feel the pull getting stronger and stronger.

I turn around a bend and come to a hault. I see an alcove on the right with a flickering light coming from above. I also hear someone moving around. I don't know if whoever is in there heard me coming so I tip toe as quietly as I can to take a peak. When I peer around the corner, what I see chills me to the bone. Rose is laying on the ground unconscious, beaten and bloody with a Strigoi hovering over her. I must have gasped involuntarily because the Strigoi whipped his head around in my direction, blood covering his lips. My gaze falls to Rose who has fresh bite marks on her neck. That son of a bitch! Rage floods my every cell as my muscles tighten and my heart beats faster. All I want to do is kill this monster for touching her. I start to charge at him for hurting my love, when I'm stopped by someone grabbing my arm and holding me back. I turn to see who would do such a thing and see Dimitri. The others aren't with him, most likely looking elsewhere for Rose. I try to pull myself from his grip, but he's too strong. Damn him.

The Strigoi staightens himself out and strolls over to me. "Finally we meet Adrian Ivashkov. Let me introduce myself, I'm Stephan Giordano. I've been waiting for you to come, you always do." he says with a sick smile on his face. "Since I plan on killing the both of you very soon, I couldn't help myself but indulge in one last taste of her sweet nectar." he wipes the blood that has dribbled on his chin with his finger and licks it off, clearly enjoying himself with the moan that escapes his throat. Sick bastard. My heart is now pumping out of my chest as he inches himself closer and closer to me. My eyes flicker down to see Rose on the ground, her eyelids fluttering. She's waking up. I let out a large breath in relief. I turn my gaze back to Stephan hoping he won't notice her stirring.

"So, you're the sick fuck that's been hunting down my family for generations." I say as I slowly pull the stake from behind my back to somehow get to Rose. I need a diversion, but what?

"No, not just any Ivashkov, you. You betrayed me in the worst way. The both of you, and you must pay over and over again." he seeths. Man, he really is crazy. Suddenly, a noise from behind me grabs his attention away from me. I take the opportunity to toss the stake to a now fully aware Rose. She catches it in the air and quickly conceals in underneath her. "I see you brought backup. Well I'm sorry to tell you it won't do you any good. I too have reinforcements." As he says this, another Strigoi walks up from the opposite directions from where we came. With the cowboy boots and jeans he's wearing, he looks like he could've just gotten off a horse.

"Is that all you've got? You think Billie Bob here is going to protect you from him?" I say pointing to Dimtiri who looks like he could kill Stephan just by looking at him. I hear Rose give a little snort but thankfully Stephan is too busy watching Dimitri to notice. The tension is rising to an almost choking level as we all just stand watching each other, waiting for someone to make the first move. I see Rose out of the corner of my eye, inching herself closer to Stephan. Surely the cowboy must notice, but isn't making her movements known to his boss.

"I believe it is time for you to die now. The only decision left is how to do it. Should I drain you first? Or perhaps I can just twist you neck in one clean movement. You'll never even feel it, or so I think." As Stephan is babbling away, Rose is getting ever closer. By the time Stephan finishes his rant, Rose pulls the stake out from under her and jams it into his calf, causing him to scream out. Dimitri makes his move to stake him, but he's too fast and grabs me instead. He pulls me to him, using me as a shield in front of Dimitri. He has me in a headlock, one hand pulling on my hair, the other arm around my neck. Shit! "That was foolish Rose. Now yours and his death will be extremely painful. Thomas, grab her and take her to my private quarters and wait for there. I will dispose of this guardian and meet you." he says never taking his eyes off Dimitri.

I can't see Rose in the position I'm in, but I hear her being pulled up to her feet as she groans from the obvious pain her wounds are causing her. I hear a loud grunt and what sounds like a fight behind me. Rose must be giving the other Strigoi a run for his money, even in her weakened state. Stephan turns us so that we can see what's going on. Rose is punching and kicking as best she can, but with the bloodloss she recently received, she won't be able to keep it up much longer. Just when it looks like Rose is out of steam and the Strigoi is about to break her arm, his hair burst into flames. I turn my head expecting to see Christian come to the rescue, but I'm surprised to see Tasha and Lissa standing behind Dimtri.

**Lissa POV**

"I hate always being left behind just because no one thinks I'm strong enough." I whine. This always happens. It seems everyone around me views me as some delicate flower that can't handle any stress, so they keep things from me and leave me behind when the action starts. This is Rose we're talking about. She's done more to protect me than anyone else ever has and I won't sit idly by waiting for news as to whether she made it out alive or not. I look over to Tasha and watch her pace the floor. She's usually one of the people right in the thick of the battle. Being pregnant must be really inconvenient for her right now.

"I know what you mean. Using my magic isn't going to harm the baby. Dimitri is just being overprotective." she scowls. I have this overwhelming feeling that we need to be there. Rose needs our help more than she needs us hiding away in some old motel room. I take Tasha by the elbow and lead her into the bathroom, out of earshot of our guardian captor.

"I say we go anyway." I tell her straight out once I shut the door. She looks surprised that I would suggest such a thing, but quickly agrees.

"How are we going to do that? Guardian Arnold isn't going to let us." Tasha asks. I give her a smile as I point a finger to my head, compulssion of course. We walk out of the bathroom and I walk straight up to Arnold and look him right in the eye.

"I think it would be best if we joined the others on the rescue mission." he looks dazed and nods his head.

"You're right. We should be there." he says.

"I think you should drive the three of us to the prison right now." I continue.

"Why don't we leave now to get to the prison. The others will need our assistance." he says. That was a lot easier than I thought. We climb into the car that the others left behind in case of emergency and head of toward the prison. My stomach is doing flip flops as I realize what I just got myself into. I try my best to push those feelings aside and conjur up all the courage I can muster. I need to be strong for Rose. Christian is going to kill me.

We get there and see the others have already broken the chain at the entrance. We see the other vehicles and park right next to one. Jumping out, I look around and see that the sun is almost set, which scares me even more. I help Tasha out and we walk to the closest door. We see a stairwell and decide that down would be the better choice since there would be no windows down below, hence no sunlight. We get to the end and see a series of tunnels. It becomes obvious which way to go when I hear voices talking down the left path. We quietly follow the source of the voices and I Rose's name mentioned. I peak around the corner to see a Strigoi holding Adrian captive while Rose is fighting another. She looks rather weak as she tries to fight off the Strigoi. Tasha pushes me aside and points her finger at Rose's attacker, lighting his hair on fire. Rose takes his distraction to good use and plunges her stake into his heart, killing him.

**Adrian POV**

Stephan must be nervous because his hold on me just got a lot tighter. Rose turns to face him now, looking like she's about ready to collapse. "Let him go now, and I'll kill you quickly. If you don't, I'll make you suffer far more than I did." she promises.

"Oh my pretty Dhampir, if you only knew how many times we have been in this exact situation, and I always win. This lifetime will be no exception." he purrs. Next thing I know I see a flash of light whiz above my head and then being pushed into a very large Russian guardian. I turn around just in time to see Rose punch Stephan right in the nose a couple time while he tries to put the fire out on his head. She then pulls her silver stake up, ready to strike.

"I promised you I would kill you and free your soul. I always keep my promises." Rose says as she raises her stake and tries to stab him, but he's too quick. Dimitri pushes me off him and runs over to help Rose. The three of them circle each other until Dimitri attacks, taking Stephan's attention away from Rose as she brings down her stake into his back and through his heart. His body goes limp and slowly falls against the wall and slides to the floor. Rose follows him down, her hand still on her stake. She doesn't pull it out until she's sure that he is dead. She sits on the dirty ground looking at the dead Strigoi, a tear rolling down her cheek. I quickly jump up and run to her. I fall on my knees in front of her and pull her to me. I bury my head into her hair and let the tears fall. She's alive and safe now. I feel her arms wrap around me too, and sqeeze me tight. I never want to let her go as we sit here on the floor. I finally pull away so I can look at her beautiful face that I've missed so much. She has fresh cuts and bruises on her face that I quickly heal. I pull away more so I can inspect her body. She's only wearing her bra and panties, making it easier for me to see her injuries. Lissa runs over and helps me by healing the bottom of her feet which are covered in blood. I get to her stomach and it all carved up. I gasp when I see it and reach out to vanish it from her skin, when she stops me. "Don't heal that one. Bob carved me a rose. He helped me out before when he let me sleep long enough to contact you." she whispers to me. I indulge her now, hoping that in time she'll see it as a reminder of this horrible ordeal and want it gone. For now I think it best if I don't push it.

"I love you Rose." I tell her as I bring my lips to hers.

"I love you too Adrian." She kisses me back and wraps her arms around my neck. I lift her up and carry her out of this hell hole, hoping we don't run into anymore of Stephans friends. I get to one of the cars and climb into the backseat and sit with Rose and my lap. I hold on to her tight as I stroke her hair. I can hear her breathing heavily and notice that she has fallen asleep. We sit in the car waiting for the rest of the team to come out before we head back to motel and away from this nightmare. Now that I have my Rose back and Stephan is dead, the adrenaline that has sustained me is wearing off and I drift to sleep.

**How did I do? Review and let me know.**


	35. Chapter 35

**Wow. Over 1,000 reviews. Do I have the best readers/reviewers or what? You all rock!**

**Since the last few chapter have been more serious, I thought I'd put in some fluff. Tell me if you like it. **

**I don't own it, so stop asking already.**

**Rose POV**

Before I even open my eyes, I know where I am, the beach. I can smell the sea air as the warm wind blows my hair around. I can hear the waves rolls up to the shore and the birds squawking about. The sand below my feet is rough and almost hot as I dig my toes in. The sun shining on my face feels me up with peace and security knowing _they_ can't get to me out here. I can feel him coming up behind me before I can hear him. Adrian. He slides his arms around my waist and pulls me into his hard, warm, shirtless body and holds me tight. The world suddenly makes sense when I'm in his arms, like nothing bad will ever happen to me again. I want to stay just like this forever. He rests his chin on my shoulder and whispers into my ear. His warm breath caresses my skin sending shivers down my spine. I love it. "Please don't ever leave me again." he pleads. I can hear the desperation in his voice. I hate that he had to go through the pain he did when I was locked away, under the thumb of a madman. I turn around to face him, still in his embrace, and look him in the eyes. Those emerald green eyes that are burned into my psyche. The image of them kept me going in my darkest times. They keep me strong, knowing I have something worth fighting for. As I look into them now, the feeling of love and security and need wash over me.

"Never." I whisper as I get lost in those wonderful eyes. As much as I love those eyes, those lips are just too inviting to resist any longer. I reach my hands up to his neck and run my fingers through his hair. He leans down and captures my mouth with his. His lips are so soft and demanding as they suckle and caress my own. So tender. So delicious. So irresistable. Our lips move together effortlessly, gently caressing and feeling each other. The feel of his warm, wet tongue gliding over my lips and into mouth sends an achy sweetness throughout my body. The way is tongue is gently probing and sliding around my mouth, dancing with my own is glorious. He tastes so sweet, so delectible, I can't get enough. The heat in my core is growing and growing. In response, I pull him to me closer and harder and deepen the kiss with wild abandon. His reaction is immediate as his hands move to my hips to grip me hard and press out bodies together. God, I've missed him. He moves his lips away from my mouth and slides them over my jaw and neck, kissing and suckling tenderly. The moan of pleasure that escapes my throat ellicites a similar reply from him. The vibrations that I feel against his chest as he vocalizes his delight, sends a tingling heat all the way to my toes. That wonderful feeling curls my toes and my fingers as I pull his hair tight, which causes another moan from him. My heart beats faster, sending more blood to my center in anticipation of what is inevitable.

Adrian moves his firm, smooth hands up my sides leaving a trail of heat in their wake. It's now that I notice the little bikini top I'm wearing. And when I say little, I mean a couple squares of cloth kept together by string. His fingers run trails over my stomach and up to the edge of material covering my chest. Oh, what his talented hands do to me. His lips move back to mine, reclaiming my mouth. His kiss is ever so hungry as his hands slide under my top and roam over my breasts. The touch of his hands brushing softly over my nipples turns my body to Jello and my knees give out on me. Thankfully, he has quick reflexes and catches me before I fall to the sand.

"Whoa, are you alright?" concern dominant in his voice. Apparently he isn't aware what his touch, his mere presence, does to me. I can feel my blood rushing to the surface of my skin in embarrassment.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just a little weak in the knees. You seem to have that effect on me." I reply with a light laugh. A huge grin spreads across his face at my confession.

"Well, that isn't surprising. I always knew I made you melt. Just the way you make me feel." he says as he leans in again for another kiss, which I eagerly oblige. Without breaking contact, Adrian leads me down to lay on a towel on the sand so I won't have to worry about falling again. As he lays on top of me, I run my hands over his chest, taking my time to appreciate every inch of his toned, firm chest. I love the way his muscles feel under my touch, strong but not bulging like a weight lifter. They always look like they're about to burst.

Adrian moves his kisses away from my lips and travels down my throat, to my collarbone, over my chest, down my stomach, only stopping when he reaches my 'gift' from Bob. He lifts his head up and gently traces the outline of the rose with his finger. I watch his face as he looks down at the design. At first he looks curious, but then a scowl overcomes his features. "I can't believe they did this to you. I promise Rose, I'll never let anyone hurt you like this again." he says looking me right in the eyes. I can see the sincerety of his words reflecting in his gaze, even though I know it might be a promise he can't keep. With my line of work, danger and death are part of the package. But this isn't really the time or place to remind him of that.

"I know." I tell him, stoking his cheek. I know in my heart he would do anything for me. He's already proven that. I pull him back down to me so I can feel his lips on mine again. I'm an addict and he is my drug. When I look back at all the time I spent pushing him away to keep him safe, I feel cheated. I could've been tasting these sweet lips a long time ago if it wasn't for Stephan. At least he's dead and there is nothing stopping us now. Adrian's hands start to explore my body again, which I love, but when he gets to the edge of my little jean shorts, I freeze. I grab his wrist to stop him from unbuttoning them. "Not in a dream. Not our first time." I breath. He hesitates for a moment, watching my face, until he nods and lets his hand roam over my hip and down to my bare thigh instead. He kneads and rubs the back of my leg, getting farther and farther up under my shorts. He feels so good.

I try to reciprocate by rubbing and massaging his back from the top of his shoulders to just under the waistband of his board shorts. I let my hands roam a little lower when I hear and feel a growl coming from Adrian. His reaction causes me to laugh, which catches him off gaurd. He pulls away and quirks an eyebrow at me, wanting to know the punchline. "I'm sorry. The vibration coming off you tickled me." Apparently, he took that as an invitation to tickle me more. We start to wrestle with each other and I flip us over so that now I'm on top. I'm staddling his waist as I pin his arms by the side of his head. "Don't you know better than to mess with me? I always win." I smile down at him. He struggles to free his arms, but I'm putting all my weight on him, keeping him down. Then he shocks me when he bucks his hips up to mine. Hey, I invented that move! In the second that I'm caught off guard, he takes advantage and flips us back over. Crap, I'm losing my touch. Just as he starts moving down to kiss me, the dream starts to fade as I wake up.

I open my eyes to a very familiar, yet unwelcome sight. A hospital room. Not again. Why am I here? Lissa and Adrian healed me, so I shouldn't have to be here, right? I hear someone snore to my right, so I look to see Adrian asleep in what looks to be a very uncomfortable chair. I look around the room and see that he's the only one here. "Adrian." I say softly not wanting to scare him, but he doesn't even stir. "Adrian." I say a little louder. He shifts hands that his head is leaning on, but still doesn't wake up. Might as well pull out all the stops. "Adrian." I yell. His head snaps up and he looks around until he sees me smiling at him. He stands up and walks over to the side of the bed.

"You're awake. Good." he leans down and kisses the top of my head. I scoot over, inviting him to join me in the bed. He climbs in and wraps his arms around me as I rest my head on his chest. "How are you feeling?" he asks. I don't answer right away as I asses the way my body feels.

"I feel good." I say as I stretch out my arms and legs, moving them around searching for any signs of pain or soreness. I go to reach my arm around his torso when I notice I have an IV in my arm. "What the hell is this for?" I hate these things.

"You were pretty dehydrated when we found you. Plus, you've been asleep for over twenty four hours so it's feeding you too." he informs me. Wow, over a day asleep. Well, I was really tired, so I guess that makes sense. I'm about to ask him how the rescue mission came about and who else came and if anyone else was hurt, when Dr. Brown comes strolling through the door.

"Well, Guardian Hathaway, it seems we keep seeing a lot of each other. Are you stalking me?" he jokes.

"You figured me out. I've been getting the crap beat out of me just so I can come here to see you. Seems to be working." I laugh. Dr Brown joins in but Adrian just glares at him. I elbow Adrian in the ribs and give him the 'lighten up' look. Instead of crackin a smile or laughing, he tightens his hold on me. Jealous much?

"Since you're awake, you can go anytime now. We just needed to get some fluids in you and let you rest. Any injuries you had were healed before you got here." Dr. Brown tells me. That's great news. A nurse comes right in and takes the IV our of my hand and I jump out of bed to change out of this stupid hospital gown. I see a bag on the floor in the bathroom with some of my clothes in it. After I change, I walk out to see Dimitri talking to Adrian. Dimitri turns to look at me when I open the door and about a thousand emotions show on his face, the last one looks like anger. I guess he's still smarting after I knocked him out. Great, just what I need right now, a lecture from him. I walk over to Adrian and hold his hand, hoping he'll stay with me while Dimitri bites my head off.

"We need to talk." Dimitrie says with his usual guardian cool and I reflexively squeeze Adrian's hand. Dimitri looks over to Adrian. "Alone." Not good. Adrian gives him a nod and pulls my hand up and kisses it.

"I'll be right outside the door to take you home when you two have finished talking." he says before leaving me alone with one very pissed off looking Russian. He doesn't say anything for what feels like an eternity, just stares at me as if trying to figure out what to say. My impatients is growing the longer our stand still goes on. Finally I can't take it anymore and I let the dam burst.

"If you're looking for an appology for what I did, you're going to be waiting a long time. I'd do it again if I had to." I tell him calmly. It seems that was the wrong thing to say by the expression on his face. He's always so good at keeping his face as expressionless as stone, except when it comes to me. I used to think that was a good thing. Not now. He's starting to scare me.

"Do you think so little of my ability to fight that you felt the need to hit me over the head rendering me unconscious? Maybe if I was with you that day, you wouldn't have needed to be rescued." he fumes. Okay, that just pissed me off. I thought I made myself perfectly clear why I didn't want him along. His ego must be hurting good at getting vested by me.

"You would think you'd be greatful that I did what I did or you'd be dead right now. My decision to keep you away had nothing to do with how well I think you fight. You're the best, Dimitri, but even the best can fall and I didn't want to risk that, risk you." I yell at him.

"Why spare me on not the others, then? Why did you let Guardian Conner go and not me?" he yells back.

"I can't believe you're asking me this." I yell again. I take a deep breath to calm myself down and look him in the eye. "Because you're special to me. You were my teacher, my first love, my first heartache. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have fallen in love with Adrian." I unburden. His face softens and he stares at me for a moment before running his hands through his hair in frustration.

"Don't do that again. I'm a grown man and don't need you protecting me like that. I know the risks and have the skills to overcome them." That stupid male pride is rearing its ugly head again.

"If the tables were turned, would you let me fight along side you? If I had a baby and Adrian at home waiting for me? Would you?" He looks down at the floor and sighs.

"No, I wouldn't." He says in defeat. Finally, he sees my side. I have to use all the strength I have not to do my victory dance for winning this argument. Instead I walk up to him and pull him into a hug.

"I'm glad you understand. I didn't just do it for you, but for Tasha and Little Roza too." I get a snort from Dimitri for the last bit. He tightens his grip on me and kisses the top of my head before he releases me. If I wasn't sore before, I am now. Damn he's strong. We walk out of the room and see Adrian sitting in a chair halfway down the hall. He stands up and walks over to me and kisses my cheek.

"I'm glad to see you're still standing Belikov. Usually when someone pisses Rose off that much, they come out with a noticable limp." he smirks. He must have heard us. Hell, the whole hospital probably heard us. Oh well, I won. Dimitri smiles and walks away, leaving Adrian and I alone. He takes my hand and leads me to the exit doors. I intertwine our fingers and lean my head against his shoulder as we walk outside.

"Take my home, babe."

**Thanks for reading. I've been 'researching' intimate scenes to improve my writing of them. Review and tell me how I did. Feedback helps.**


	36. Chapter 36

**Thanks for all the positive feedback. I think you'll like this chapter.**

**I don't, I don't, I don't own Vampire Academy.**

**Adrian POV**

"Are you going to be alright talking about this?" I ask Rose as we sit outside the Queen's parlor waiting to debrief her on the initial raid and subsequent rescue mission. Everyone who was there is waiting with us. We've all given a report individually to the Head Court Guard, but my aunt wants to hear about it directly so she can ask questions. Rose hasn't talked about it with me yet, wanting to wait so everyone hears it together so she doesn't have to repeat herself and relive the memory over and over again. Conversely, she hasn't been told how the rescue mission came about or what all happened. This is going to be one long, draining afternoon.

"Yeah, I just want to get this over with so we can put it behind us and get on with our lives." she says as she rests her head on my shoulder. I move my arm so it is around her shoulders and pull her closer. I'm not sure I'm ready to hear all the gory details of what she went through, but I need to be strong for her. I look around the room at all the people that came together to help me get Rose home, and I'm so thankful they all surrvived. Knowing Rose, the guilt that someone died trying to save her would eat her alive.

"You all can go in now. The Queen will be right in." Celeste tells us. I look over to her and she gives me a smile and a wink as she looks over to Rose. Celeste isn't the type of Moroi to judge someone based on who they give their love to. She knows how much Rose means to me and wants me to be happy. I'm going to have to think of something nice to do for her since she helped me out so much. I grab Rose's hand and lead her into the parlor. We take a seat next to Lissa and Christian and wait some more for the Queen to arrive. Luckily we don't have to wait long as she strolls into the room followed by her guardians. The first thing she does when she walks in is make a beeline straight to Rose and hug her tight. The realization that they're actually friends still boggles my mind. The fact that they kept it a secret from me still irks me, but it's not worth fighting over so I don't mention it.

"I'm so glad you're back Rose." Aunt Tatiana says to Rose as she pulls away to look at her. Rose gives her a smile.

"Glad to be back. I'm sure this place would be going to hell in a handbasket without my awesome guidance." she laughs. Tatiana rolls her eyes with a laugh and they both sit back down. Rose starts the debriefing by talking about the raid, starting with knocking Dimitri out. Tatiana doesn't seem too pleased about what Rose did and Dimitri looks a bit embarrassed. Apparently Rose went against a direct order from the Queen when she kept him here. Only Rose could do that and not land herself in jail. She goes on telling us about finding the house and the tied up humans, fighting the Strigoi, the fire and seeing Guardian Conner being crushed by the ceiling. Tears are streaming down her face as she recounts how he pushed her toward the door, trying to get her out of the inferno. I look around the room and see all the women dabbing their eyes with hankies.

I give her hand a squeeze for comfort, knowing the worst is still to come. She tells about how she woke up tied to a chair and being dunked into a pool of ice water until she almost drowned. She talks about how Stephan told her was going to use her as a bloodwhore right before he fed off her. Anger starts growing inside me as I picture what Rose went through. She goes on to talk about waking up in a cell that she barely managed to escape from. That explains all the scrapes and cuts on her thighs, hips and butt. She mentions finding the payphone with the phone number that ultimately led us to her, getting on the roof, hiding on the side of the building and staking a Strigoi and watching him fall to the ground below. Finding that loose bar and using it as a stake is pretty ingenious. Unfortunately it wasn't enough to keep her from Stephan's clutches again. He used compulsion on her to get her back up to the roof. She looks over to me and tells me she wants to practice resisting compulsion. I never really thought about it, but she says she felt her walls go up to block him out, but she wasn't strong enough, yet. "That sounds like a good idea." I tell her.

Rose takes a deep breath before she goes on. I can tell what she's about to say I'm going to hate. A couple of Stephan's henchmen chained her to a wall where she was forced to stay awake. She mentions her watcher Bob, as she named him, and how she was able to get some sleep to contact me in exchange for her blood. Thinking about her letting some monster bite her like that sickens me. My whole body tenses up and I squeeze her hand so tight she yells at me. "Owe, that hurts!" she says while twisting her hand from my grip. I look to her, pissed that she so easily let him drink. "Don't you dare look at me like that Adrian! If I didn't do what I did, you wouldn't have found me so quickly. I would've been in a much worse state when and if you did find me. Don't. Judge. Me." she says through clenched teeth. I look in her eyes and see the hurt that I caused by reacting so badly to her method of negotiation. I suddenly feel like the biggest ass in the world. How could I make her feel like that when all she was trying to do was survive? My chest tightens up so much my heart aches as I look at her lovely face marred by betrayal. My betrayal.

"I'm sorry." I whisper as I take her hand back in mine and gently sooth it. "I just feel so helpless that I wasn't able to stop them from hurting you. It kills me that you went through this." Rose reaches over and wipes a tear from my cheek I didn't even know was there. She cups my my face wtih her hand and looks me in the eyes.

"Adrian, I'm a lot stronger than you think. I've been training hard for the last two years, getting hurt a lot worse than what they did to me. Remember? What they did was horrible, but I'm just getting started. I'm here now, safe and sound thanks to you and everyone here. No feeling guilty about something you couldn't control. I'm going to tell the rest of my story, and you're going to listen. No guilt." she says firmly. I nod and she looks around the room to everyone else listening intently. "No guilt." she repeats to the others. After affirming nods from the rest of the room, she continues. She was able to get to sleep just long enough to give me part of the phone number, only to be awakened by his lit cigarette to her leg. I use all my strength to not react to this information. This Bob guy kept her awake by hitting her, throwing water in her face, and even carving her flesh with his nails. Rose stands up and lifts her shirt, showing everyone her still healing wound shaped like a rose. I hear a collective gasp throughout the room. I don't think I'll be able to look at that rose scar without feeling sick to my stomach. We're definately going to have to talk about healing that away.

She tells us how Stephan came into her cell just in time to stop Bob from biting her again after tasting the blood dripping down her body, the sick bastard. Before she goes on, she takes my hand and rubs it softly, preparing me for what she's going to say next. "Stephan ordered me released from the shackles to be brought to his room so he could have his way with me." Oh god. I don't think I can listen to any more of this. I start to shake involuntarily, but she tightens her grip on my hand and tells us how she made a run for it when she saw the open door. Relief washes over me as she continues. She was in one of the hallways when Jake blasted all the windows. The broken glass did a lot of damage to her, especially her feet when she ran. She didn't know it was us when she left the safety of the sunlight. Unfortunately she ran right back into Stephan's arms. He dragged her down to the alcove we found them in and beat her after choking her into unconsciousness. She said she woke up just in time to feel him bite her neck and drink. That's when Dimitri and I came into the picture. Dimitri took over telling the story while I held Rose in my arms, comforting her.

When Tasha's contribution of lighting the two Strigoi up so that Rose could stake them came up, I heard Rose growl quietly. "What's wrong?" I asked her.

"Why was Tasha brought along? Did you all forget that she's pregnant?" she yells.

"Rose, I came along so I could bring my two guardians with me to help in the rescue. Lissa and I were left behind with a guardian and weren't supposed to be at the prison. But we couldn't sit idly by and not do anything, so we...convinced Guardian Arnold to take us to help. We love you, Rose, and knew we could help, and we did. So, no guilt. What's done is done." Tasha says firmly, throwing Rose's words back at her. Rose wasn't too happy about that, but kept quiet so Dimitri could finish.

He explained about how he and Guardian Smith went to help Eddie's group on the other side of the prison. Apparently, Jake and Mia were exhausted and couldn't do their magic anymore. Mia had exploded some toilets as a successful distraction. Clever. As a couple guardians brought the Moroi back to the cars, the others brought down the remaining five Strigoi fairly quickly. They were leaving the building, heading back to the rest of us when three Strigoi ran after them just as the sun was going down. Amy saw this and used her earth magic to create a large ditch behind the guardians that the Strigoi fell into. Before they could climb out, Christian and Tasha sent of blaze of fire down the hole, barbequing them. Amy then covered the hole back up and jumped in the car with the others and rode back to the hotel. Man, I kinda wish I was awake to see that. Sounds cool.

"Were all the Strigoi that were at the prison destroyed?" Tatiana asks. I have no idea and as I look around the room, no one else does either. "So, I assume no alchemists were called for clean up duty." Dimitri answered her this time letting her know that none were called. "Well then, I will require a team to go back and make sure Stephan is actually dead. Guardian Belikov, I put you in charge since you know the location his body was last seen. Bring Adrian's new guardian, Guardian Gates, along with you and four others of your choosing." Rose looks over at me rather confused.

"Your new guardian? There are three of us now?" She asks.

"No, I had to remove you from my service and replace you so that I had two guardians with me to find you." A look of understanding crosses her face as she looks over to Gates. The Queen dismisses us and we all walk out.

"Rose, you're coming over for dinner, right?" I ask her. I'm planning a special meal to celebrate her return to me. I've missed her so much and she was only gone a few days. I'm a little nervous because I want to discuss something important with her and I'm not sure how she'll react.

"Of course I'm coming over to your place tonight. I don't plan on leaving until morning either." she says with a wink. I think my temperature just shot up a thousand degrees from the heat my body is producing just thinking about what we could do together all night. I walk her to her door, kiss her softly, leaving her wanting more, and head back to my place to get ready for tonight. I want everything to be perfect for her since she's been through so much. I have dinner being delivered and the cleaning lady came by when we were in the meeting with the Queen. I jump in the shower to get ready for the night and dress in the outfit Rose bought me last Christmas. I run around the apartment putting candles and flowers around to create a romantic atmosphere. Now that everything is set, I wait. I try to sit on the couch and watch tv, but I'm so anxious to see her, I can't sit still. I keep glancing at the door, hoping she'll be knocking any second. Finally, there's a knock on the door, but I know it's not her from the bond. It's the caterer with the food. We put it away and I resume waiting. The feeling in my gut starts to get stronger and I know she's on her way. I'm so nervous, I'm starting to sweat. If everything goes as planned tonight, this will be a night I'll remember forever.

A knock on the door starts my heart racing knowing she's here. I open the door and about have a heart attack. She. Looks. Amazing. I try to say something, but I think I swallowed my tongue. I feel a little dizzy when all the blood rushes from my head to my nether regions. The dress is a beautiful lavender with a rouged bust and beaded halter straps that form a V at the bust, and the silky material goes all the way to the floor. The way it lays on her body is...WOW! _(A/N dress on profile) _She let her hair down and just a hint of makeup on, not that she needs it. I wouldn't doubt that I'm drooling as I stare at her. Rose's laughter brings me back to reality as I move out of the way for her to come in. When I see the back of her dress, or rather lack of one, I close my eyes and grip the door tight to keep myself from attacking her right there. The straps criss cross at the back between the shoulder blades and the lower back is totally open, right down to her tail bone. The thought that she is most likely going commando in that dress is causing me to hyperventilate. Breath in. Breath out. What is she trying to do to me?

"Adrian, are you alright?" she asks concerned. I can't look at her yet, so I squeeze my eyes tight as I try to answer her.

"Umm, no. Just give me a minute." I tell her as I try to think of something to bring myself down. Let's see, my grandmother sunbathing by the pool naked. Okay, that's working. My heart beat is coming down to normal, I can breath now, and the tightness in my pants is disappearing. Oh, thank god. I slowly open my eyes to see her amused face smiling back at me. I focus on her face, not ready to see that dress again fearing another reaction.

"I take it you like the dress." she asks. Well, duh.

"Actually, I like _you_ in that dress. I just wish you could've given me a warning though, you almost killed me." I tease. She steps closer to me and touches my arm and gently runs her hand up to my shoulder, then to my neck and pulls me down and presses her sweet lips to mine. I have to push her away before my entire body goes into a thermo nuclear meltdown. I grip her shoulders tight while I rest my forehead to hers and try to catch my breath. "Unless you want to spend the rest of the night, morning and most of the afternoon in bed, I suggest we calm down and keep the contact to a minimum until later. My resistance to take you right now is waning." She looks a little disappointed, but steps back, giving me some space.

I walk her over to the table and pull out her chair for her. I bring out the food, steak and baked potatos, and champaigne and we begin to eat. Rose asks more questions about the how we organized the rescue mission and how the council meeting went. She isn't very happy at how easily her life was dismissed by the council. Yeah, it pissed me off too. We get to dessert, strawberry shortcake, and she brings up the conversation I was kinda hoping to avoid. "So, when am I getting reinstated as your guardian?" she asks while taking a bite. I put down my fork and take a deep breath.

"Well, I've been thinking that I don't want you to be assigned as my guardian." The look of shock on her face as she stops chewing and just stares at me is causing my stomach to ache. After a few moments of silence, she swallows and wipes her mouth with her napkin, never averting her gaze from me. Her silences are sometimes scarier than her rants.

"You don't want me to be your guardian anymore?" she asks. I gather up all my courage and shake my head no. I can see the anger boiling up inside her as she glares at me. "You think because of what happened, I can't protect you anymore?" she yells. Oh god, she's pissed. I just hope she'll calm down enough for me to explain.

"Of course I know you can protect me. It's just..."

"You think I'm weak now. I saw how you looked at me today when I told how I let that Strigoi drink from me. You think I'm a bloodwhore now, don't you?" Her body is trembling while she's yelling. How could she think I would feel that way?

"What? Are you serious? Do you really think I would think that of you? Do you not know me at all?" I yell right back, getting pissed right back at her. Both of us are breathing heavy as the anger is building up between us.

"What else am I supposed to think when you tell me you don't want me anymore?" she fumes.

"I don't want you anymore? That's the stupidest thing you've ever said!"

"Oh, so I'm stupid now? You don't want a stupid guardian?" Oh my god. Her logic is driving me insane. I grab my hair and pull in frustration as I let out a gutteral scream.

"Aagh! You're not stupid. That's not why I don't want you as my guardian." I scream. The entire Court can probably hear us yelling at each other.

"Then what's the reason? Huh?" she screams back with her hands in the air.

"Because I love you and I want you to be my wife." I yell at the top of my lungs. She looks at me stunned. She slowly lowers her arms back to her sides as her jaw practically drops to the floor as what I just told her sinks in. I take a moment to get my breathing back under control before I walk up to her, pull a little black box from my pocket, take her hand in mine and get down on one knee. "Rose, when you were away from me those few days, I felt incomplete, like a very important part of me was missing. Then when I had you in my arms again, I felt whole again. I felt alive again, and I realized that you truely are my other half. All I want to do is make you happy and safe, just like you make me feel. I don't want to spend another day apart from you. Rose, I've been waiting since the day I met you to ask you this question. Will you make me the happiest man on this planet and marry me?" I open the box and show her the emerald and diamond engagement ring Guardian Conner told me she was admiring on that shopping trip to the mall. She isn't saying anything as she stares open mouthed at the ring. I'm starting to get nervous that she's trying to figure out a nice way to let me down. I see a tear fall down her cheek as she moves her gaze from the ring to me. My heart is pounding away in my chest as I wait for her answer. Finally after what seems like forever, a smile pulls at her lips and she kneels down in front of me. She puts her hands around to the back of my neck and pulls me in for the most mind blowing kiss of my life.

She pulls away but still doesn't say anything, just looks into my eyes. "Is that a yes?" I ask a little hoarse as I recover from that kiss. She shakes her head no while her smile gets wider, confusing me.

"No." she says and my heart drops. "It's a HELL YES I'll be your wife!" she exclaims. She said yes! She said yes! I'm so excited I pull her to me and hold her tight as what she said goes round and round in my mind. I pull back and slip the ring on her finger. It's a perfect fit. Rose stares down a the ring on her finger and then back up to me. "How did you know I secretly hoped you'd give me this ring?"

"Well, I saw you and Conner looking at the rings and asked him when we got back if there was one that you liked. He told me about this one and I called the store and had it delivered the next day. I was just waiting for the perfect moment to give it to you." I stand up and pull her up with me.

"Thank you. It's so beautiful. It reminds me of you, your eyes." she whispers with tears on her cheeks. I wipe them away and tenderly kiss her lips.

"Thank you for agreeing to be my wife." I say against her mouth. She reclaims my lips and deepens the kiss. My hands start to rub the bare exposed skin on her back and things start to heat up quickly. I pick her up bridal style, never breaking contact with her mouth, and walk to the bedroom. "I think we need to celebrate. What do you say Mrs. Ivashkov to be?" I breath. She frantically nods her head and she presses her lips to mine again. I kick the door open and lay her down on the bed. "I love you, Rose." I say as I hover over her.

"I love you, too Adrian."

**Okay, I think they need a little private time now. How did you like the proposal? I thought it was typical of their relationship. Tell me what you thought by reviewing. Thanks for reading.**


	37. Chapter 37

**Thanks for the reviews, they make my happy. Just finished reading Spirit Bound and I LOVED it.**

**I'm not the wonderful Richelle Mead, therefore have no claim on Vampire Academy**

**Rose POV**

Only days ago I thought the best feeling in the world was the endorphin rush from being bitten by a Strigoi. Boy was I wrong. As I lay here in bed with the man I will soon vow to spend the rest of my life with, the pure bliss and euphoria he creates in me fills to overflowing. The feel of his soft, strong lips caressing mine starts a craving deep inside me. I find myself pulling his body closer to mine and deepening our kiss in an almost frenzied craze in an attempt to mesh out bodies into one. I just can't get enough of him. These clothes are a very annoying barrier keeping me from experiencing him to the fullest. They've got to go. Now. The buttons of his shirt give way one by one as my fumbling fingers release their hold. I put my hands on his hot, hard body and push the fabric away, revealing the most amazing chest I've ever seen. He is glorious. He breaks away from me and finishes removing his shirt for me and looks down at me with so much lust and hunger in his eyes, I feel a rush of heat building up between my thighs. He leans back down and kisses my neck up to my ear. "As much as I like seeing you in this dress, I'd rather see you out of it." he whispers, causing more heat in my core. I nod my head, not able to put together coherent words at the moment and let him pull me up to stand by the bed. He takes a moment to let his eyes wonder over the dress one more time before he puts his hands on my thighs and slowly gathers up the fabric and pulls it up and over my head. I kick off my heels and stand before him naked. Even though I know I have a great body from both mother nature and all the training I do, I'm still a little nervous as to how he will react. His gaze lingers, taking in every inch of me as I stand before him. "So beautiful." he whispers.

I step closer to him, placing my hands on his chest as I gently begin to kiss along his collarbone. I feel him tremble at my touch. While I continue kissing up along his neck, I let my hands drift down his torso to the edge of his pants. His hands are busy roaming all over my back as I make quick work of removing the remainder of his clothes. Now it's my turn to admire him. I step back and look him over, drinking in his gorgeous features. "Damn sexy." I say as I wrap my arms around his waist and let my hands glide over his backside. He mirrors my actions and leans down, finding my mouth and kisses me softly. My heart swells as I consume all the love he feels for me pouring from his touch. It doesn't take long for the kiss to get heated. We tumble back into his bed, never breaking contact. My desire for him is building exponentially as we touch and kiss and caress and whisper declarations of love and devotion to each other. Soon enough, tenderness leads to raw passion that builds up between us, begging to be released. "Are you ready?" he asks. Am I ready? I'm more than ready, but I know he's being protective, not wanting to hurt me. I nod my head and bring his mouth to mine letting him know how much I want this, want him. The sensations of pain and pleasure shoot me, causing me to scream out. I've thought about how this moment would be for a long time now. The fact that I waited to experience this for the first time with Adrian, knowing how much he loves me and I him, makes it all the more wonderful. He's so patient and gentle with me, teaching me what it means to totally give yourself to someone else, to surrender. We spend the entire night showing each other physically what's in our hearts. Although I know he likes taking the lead, it seems he likes surrendering to my will as well. Finally, after many hours, we collapse on the bed and hold each other tight. It doesn't take long at all for sleep to claim me as I dream about all the endless nights we'll have together, just like this one.

The next morning I wake up to a deep ache in my body. I groan as I stretch out along side Adrian. His eyes slowly open and he smiles brightly when he sees me. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?" He asks with a mischevious grin, like her already knows the answer. I replace my arms around him and pull him closer as I rest my head against his chest with big smile across my face.

"That was the best sleep I've had in a long time. You wore me out last night. I might need a healing if I hope to get out of bed." I say against him. I feel his body shake as he laughs. His hand slides down the side of my body and stops at my center. I feel Spirit entering my body, taking away any pain left over from our love making. So much better. Adrian presses closer to me and I can feel that he is ready to show me how much he loves me all over again. I take a quick peek at the clock and see that time is not on our side this morning. But, a better idea comes to mind. I sit up without saying a word and take his hand and lead him to the bathroom.

After what was the BEST SHOWER EVER! we manage to pull ourselves away from each other long enough to get dressed for work. I use the spare clothes I keep here just for this occassion. I steal glances at him while he gets ready and notice the big ass smile he has plastered all over his face. I can't help but laugh at his expression. "Do I amuse you?" he asks. I walk over and take hold of his collar and pull him in for a kiss.

"You're smiling like you just won the lottery or discovered the meaning of life. People are going to wonder what's wrong with you." I explain. He takes my hand and runs his thumb over my finger with my ring on it.

"That's because I did find the meaning of life, loving and spending the rest of my life with you." he says. My heart does a flip listening to him. Everything is so perfect right now, that I'm afraid it's all a big dream, that I'm going to wake up alone in my bed any second now. He leans down and kisses me again, letting me know how real this all is. "How about you call the gang and invite them over for dinner, and we can tell them the good news at once?"

"You want me to cook?" I ask hopeful to put some of my new culinary skills to use. He hesitates before answering.

"Cook, order in, whatever you want." Okay, that so did not answer my question, but I'll figure something out. We walk out the door, hand in hand, and head to the coffee shop to get some wake up juice. I see Mia and quickly pull my ring off and hide it in my pocket so she doesn't find out the good news too soon.

"Hey Mia, two coffees. What are your plans for dinner tonight? Can you come over?" She pours the orders while she thinks.

"Umm, I have no plans actually. What time and whose place? Oh that's four dollars." Adrian gives her the money while I grab the cups.

"I say about five at Adrian's."

"Sounds good. See you then." she says as she helps the next customer in line. We turn to walk out of the busy cafe when someone stands in front of us, blocking our path. Emily. So not the person I want to see when I'm so happy right now. Well, I'm just not going to let her get to me. She smiles brightly at Adrian and faces him like I'm not even here.

"Adrian, I haven't seen you for a few days. I hope your field test went well. I can't wait to hear about the results today at the committee meeting." God, she sounds so fake I want to just smack her upside the head.

"Yes, we accomplished what we wanted to." he replies back to her as he puts his arm around my waist, indicating me as the end result. "You'll get all the details shortly. Right now, Rose and I were just leaving." he says as he tries to walk around her, but she doesn't move.

"Oh, and don't forget Adrian, you promised to be my escort for the Queen's Aniversary Ball next week. Since you are the Queen's nephew, you'll be expected to attend with a proper date." she says that last part glancing at me, as if we didn't know who she was talking about. Bitch!

"I'm sorry. After your birthday dinner, I assumed you would want to take Guardian Castile, so I made plans to ask someone else." Adrian turns to look right at me. "Rose, would you accompany me to the Ball next week?" I can see the anger flare up in Emily's eyes when he asks me to go instead of her. I knew about the Ball but was originally going to be on duty, but with all the crap that's been going on lately I kinda forgot about it. I don't really know if I'm ready for us to put our relationship out there on such a big stage right now. I'll have to talk to him seriously about it later, but now I'll play along just to piss Emily off.

"I don't know Adrian, it's such short notice... Hell, why not. I'm always up for a good party." I shrug. He smiles at me and then turns to face Emily.

"See, I already have a date. But don't worry, you're pretty decent looking, I'm sure you'll find someone willing to go with you." He tells her while I fight to keep myself from laughing at her appalled expression.

"You can't be serious about bringing a..a..Dhampir! It's a _Royal_ Ball, for Royals. Bringing a common Moroi is improper enough, but this," she says gesturing to me "is just indecent. I wouldn't be surprised if they turned you away at the door." At the beginning of this conversation, I would've been grateful to be denied entry to this Royal shindig. Most Royals are just a bunch of self absorbed idiots that think their shit don't stink. Spending an evening with a room full of them is torture of the cruelest kind. But, the more she talks about how I shouldn't even be allowed in is pissing me off. Now I want to go just to rub her face in it.

"If I were you, I would worry more about finding someone to take you and less about us. I'm sure there's some pathetic soul desperate enough to consider taking you. I don't know of any that desperate off hand, but I'm sure you'll find him." I say with fake enthusiasm. I didn't think she could look more irrate than before, but she does now. Just as Adrian and I are about to leave, Emily tosses her iced coffee right in my face, getting me soaked. On instinct, I lunge at her, only to be stopped by Adrian's arms grabbing a hold of me. He pulls me to him and whispers in my ear for only me to hear.

"She's still a Royal and harming her can get you in a lot of trouble and I can't compell the entire crowd in here to forget what they saw." I let his words seep into me and I start to calm down. She isn't worth it. Mia comes running over to me and hands me a towel to dry off my coffee stained face.

"I think you need to leave before I finish what she started. I'm not a guardian and didn't take any vows to do no harm to Moroi." Mia says to Emily with her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face.

Emily looks at Mia for a second and comes to the conclussion that she's not bluffing and turns on her heel and leaves in a huff. Mia turns to look at me and takes the towel from my hand and dries the cold liquid off my neck that I missed. "Thanks Mia. Next time just hit her. She needs to be knocked down a peg or two." I say taking the towel from her and attempting to dry my top. It's no use. I'll just have to go back to my room and change, not letting me walk Adrian to work.

We thank Mia and tell her we'll see her at dinner and head out the door. He looks me over at the mess Emily made of me and appologizes. "I'm so sorry that she did this to you. She doesn't seem to know when to let something go."

"That's because she's used to getting whatever she wants. You're probably the first thing that's been denied her and she can't handle it. Can't really blame her though. You are pretty wonderful." I say with a flirtatious smile. I'm determined to not let her ruin my morning, well, any more than she has. He leans down to give me a kiss, and licks his lips, tasting the remnants of the coffee bath Emily gave me.

"Mmm, tastes good, but I prefer the way you taste alone." he says while coming in for another kiss. We pull apart after a moment and I see out of the corner of my eye a couple older Moroi ladies watching us with disgust on their faces. I don't know if it's because of the PDA or because I'm a Dhampir and he's a Moroi. Not wanting to cause yet another scene, I pull away more knowing we soon have to part.

"Well, I gotta go clean up. I'll contact Lissa and have her, Christian and Eddie come over. You invite Tasha and Dimitri when you see her this morning. I'll take care of the food and getting the place ready. I just need to go see when I can start guarding again." I think about our conversation last night about how Adrian didn't want me assigned to him anymore so we could get married, and I wonder who I will be assigned to now. Since that's what Adrian is in charge of, I look to him to answer my question. "Who are you going to assign me to?"

"I have an idea, but I need to talk to that person first. I'll let you know as soon as I can, alright?" I look at him and that face I so adore. I trust that whatever decision he makes will be in everyones best interest, so I just smile and nod. After leaving him, I go to the Guardian Office to see about getting me back on the roster. Just sitting around is going to drive me crazy, I need to work. I also inform them that I couldn't be on duty for the Ball since I was going as a guest. It was no problem since they replaced me when they thought I was dead. It irked me a little that they were so quick to dismiss me, but I guess they didn't have a choice. Maggie put me back on starting next week, which gave me a few more days off. Well, I do have a Ball to get ready for, so it works out well.

I spend the rest of the day shopping for food and staightening up Adrian's apartment, which wasn't too hard since he had the placed cleaned yesterday for our night together. I keep getting distracted all day as scenes from last night flash in my head every few seconds. The way my body burned when he touched me, and how wonderful it felt when he entered my body and we became one. I'm getting heated up just thinking about it. I shake the memories from my head so I can concentrate on the bare naked chickens sitting in front of me, waiting to be cooked, or burned depending on if I can keep myself together.

"Honey, I'm home." Adrian sings out loud as he walks in. He's so cute, I can't help but laugh at his enthusiasm.

"I'm in the kitchen,_ Dear_." I say in the same tone he had. He walks up and hugs me from behind, planting a kiss on my neck.

"Something smells good. What are we having?" he asks while looking over my shoulder as I cut up the vegetables for the salad. I nod my head over in the direction of the oven. He takes a peek and shuts it back up. "Looks delicious. I can't wait to taste it." He's so brave it makes me smile.

All of our friends arrive and make themselves comfortable. We ladies end up in the kitchen as Tasha looks over what I cooked. She peeks inside on of the chickens and starts laughing. What the hell? "Would you like to enlighten me as to what is so funny?" I ask, arms crossed in front of me. I'm a little sensitive to my cooking skills since they're so new and underdeveloped.

"Oh Rose." she says as she pulls something out of the chicken's butt. "You're supposed to take this out before you cook the chicken. It the gizards and and neck." Oh that's just gross. I take a look at the other three birds and pull out the same stuff. Lissa and Mia start laughing too as I start to freak out.

"Holy Crap! Did I just poison the chickens?" I ask frantically wondering if I'm going to have to order pizza and explain to Adrian and the rest of the rest of the guys how I screwed up.

"No, it's fine." Tasha manages to say between bursts of laughter. I let out a big breath knowing a dodged an embarassing bullet. I look at the three of them who are starting to calm down.

"If any of you mention this to any of them" I motion to the men sitting in the living room "I will never speak to you again." I promise. They all nod and Mia wipes the tears from her eyes. I don't think I'm going to live this down for a very long time.

Everyone sits down and eats and all goes well. They all compliment me on my chicken and no one seems to be getting sick. So yay me! Adrian helps me serve dessert and while in the kitchen, I put my ring on. As I pass out the cake and Adrian helps serve coffee, I wonder if anyone is going to notice the new addition to my hand. Instead of sitting down to eat, Adrian and I remain standing waiting for everyone's attention. Finally, Adrian has to clear his throat to get them to stop stuffing their faces for a second.

"Rose and I would like to thank you all for coming tonight. We think of you all as family and wanted you to be the first to hear our good news." Adrian starts.

"You're pregnant! I knew it!" Christian shouts. "Pay up." he says, hand outstretched to Eddie.

"I am not pregnant!" I shout at him as I pick up a fork and throw at him. Unfortunately he dodges the silverware, but not Lissa's hand as she smacks him upside the head.

"Go on Rose, Adrian." Tasha encourages. I look up to Adrian who smiles back down to me. I put my hand out, showing off the ring.

"Adrian asked me to marry him and I said yes." I practically shout. Lissa squeals and jumps up to give us a big hug. Mia and Tasha follow. The Eddie walks over and shakes hands with Adrian since I'm unavailable with the ladies surrounding me looking at my ring. Christian comes over to offer his congratulations in his own unique way.

"Congratulations, man. I never really pegged you for a masochist, but living with Rose is going to be hell. You know that don't you?" Christian asks. Adrian just smiles and shakes his head.

"It won't be hell, it'll be an adventure. Never knowing what the next day will bring. You just don't understand her like I do. She's passionate, about everything she does, and I love that about her. She makes life interesting and worth while. Life with Rose is going to be wonderful. Isn't it, babe?" he says the last part to me and leans in for a kiss, which I gladly oblige. I look over to Dimitri who hasn't moved out of his seat. He sees me looking at him and forces a smile. I walk over to him and sit in the seat next to him.

"Hey comrade. Are you going to be okay with this? I know it's kinda sudden, but, like you said when you first got here, we already act like an old married couple. Now we're just making it official." I say as I nudge his arm teasingly.

"I know. I was just thinking about all the outside criticism you two will be bombarded with. Are you ready for that?" he asks with genuin concern. It's something I haven't really wanted to think about just yet, preferring to enjoy the moment of happiness.

"Well, we'll find out next week when we go the the Queen's Anniversary Ball." Suddenly the room went silent.

"You're taking her to the Ball?" Lissa asks Adrian. She looks surprised. Did she really think he'd go with someone else?

"Of course I'm taking her. She's my fiance. Why wouldn't I take her?" Adrian's starting to get deffensive. I walk over to him and hold his hand to calm him down.

"Adrian, I'm just not sure the Ball is the best place to announce you're marrying a Dhampir. You know we all love you guys and think you're perfect together, but there will be a lot of royals there who will have a heart attack seeing you two together." Lissa tries to explain.

"We're hardly the first Moroi and Dhampir couple to get married. We won't even be the only mixed couple there. Tasha and Dimitri are going together, right?" Adrian asks Tasha and Dimitri. They both look at us with sympathetic faces and shake their heads.

"I'm sorry Adrian, but we felt it best if I go alone. Dimitri will be there, but he'll be on duty. We didn't want to face the critics and put any more stress on me and the baby than neccesary." she explains. Great, leave us to face the firing squad alone.

"Well, at least you'll be there to support us, right?" I ask looking at Tasha and Lissa.

"Of course, Rose. We'll all be there to help you. Eddie will be guarding along side Dimitri and even Mia will be there working with the waitstaff. We just hope you realize the backlash you're going to face. Adrian being a royal is going against centuries of prejudices that forbid this kind of union. You two are not going to be easily accepted, if at all, by most of the guests." Lissa tells us. I'm starting to have second thoughts about going, until I see the look in Adrian's eye. He's not going to let some old small minded royals keep him from doing what he wants.

"They can say whatever they want. I'm still taking my fiance to the Ball and I'm still marrying her. They can all jump off a cliff for all I care." he wraps his arms around me and kisses my cheek for emphasis.

"This is going to be one interesting party. Now I'm glad I'm working that night." Mia says excitedly. She lives for this kind of action. Lissa, Tasha, Mia and I make plans to go shopping for my Ball dress the next day. Lissa and Tasha already have theirs. I tried to tell them that I could just wear the dress I had on last night, but Adrian objected.

"Rose, we're going to have enough attention on us for just being there. Let's not add to it with every male in the room ignoring their dates because they're staring at you."

"I hardly think that'll happen." Christian argues.

"You didn't see her in the dress. That dress is stricly for my eyes only." he tells me. He did have quite the reaction. I concede and agree to buy a new, appropriate dress. Eddie, who has been pretty quiet most of the night, decides to pipe up and put a damper on our happiness.

"You know what you two need to do now. You're going to have to tell your parents about getting married, before the rest of our world finds out at the Ball." Shit, he's right. The thought of telling my mom I'm marrying a Moroi, a royal Moroi even, scares the hell out of me. And I've faced an army of Strigoi with little problem. Adrian's parents like me fine as his guardian. I wonder how they're going to react to this bombshell. We both look at each other and cringe. Looks like we're in for one hell of a week.

**Poor Rose and Adrian are in for a battle of a different kind. How do you think Adrian's parents will react? And Janine? Thanks for reading and don't forget to review and let me know how I'm doing.**


	38. Chapter 38

**Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. I'm glad you like the story so far. Keep 'em coming.**

**I don't own it, damn it!**

**Rose POV**

The last of our friends have just left, leaving me and Adrian alone. We gather up the dirty dishes and get to work. I wash and he loads the dishwasher, all while dancing and singing along to the radio. Adrian has a secret love of disco music that cracks me up. He keeps bumping my hip and kissing me on the neck while dancing close to me from behind. "Do a little dance, make a little love, get down tonight. Get down tonight." he sings in my ear. I laugh and turn around and dance around the kitchen with him. We spend the next few songs gettin' down all over the apartment. After we played that funky music, I turn off the music to cuddle on the couch with my fiance. I love the sound of that. I grab the laptop before I sit down and boot it up. Adrian moves so I can sit between his legs along the couch, my back resting against his chest. He puts his chin on my shoulder and watches me type away.

"Watcha doin'?" he asks.

"I'm getting a head start on my dress shopping. I want to find the type of dress I like to narrow down the search." I find a website with all sorts of different prom and evening dresses to look at. Adrian stops me when one catches his eye.

"How about that one?" he asks.

"Are you serious? All you have to do is hook my up to the ceiling and spin me around and I'll become a disco ball. No thanks." I dismiss that sequin nightmare. "How about this one?" I point to a short dress that's a little revealing, just to guage his reaction.

"Are you planning on working the street corner?" That's a bit harsh, but at least I know he's taking this seriously. "How about that one? It'll cover you up nicely." he says.

"Since when did we become Amish? It's not a sin to show some skin." I say as I pull the neckline of my shirt down to uncover my shoulder teasingly. Adrian responds by kissing the exposed skin up along my neck, causing my breathing to speed up. Okay, if I don't stop him now, I'll never find a dress. I look back at the computer and see one similar to the dress I wore last night. "I like this one. It even has a slit on one side."

"It's very nice. A little too nice. I don't want anyone other than me looking at those lovely legs of yours. No slits." I guess he's setting boundaries now. This should be good. "This one's nice." he points.

"Sure, if you're eighty." I swear I saw Blanche wear that dress on a rerun of the Golden Girls last week. I scroll down to see more. He stops me again, finding another monstrosity.

"That one looks like it belongs at a Royal Ball." he says. It's a strapless form fitting dress that is puffy from the waist down.

"It looks like I could smuggle a bunch a little people under the skirt. Too poofy." He points to another one. "That one looks like it's made for a mermaid. How the hell will I walk in that thing? How about this one?" It goes to the floor but has see through material around the waist.

"Too sexy for the occasion, but we're getting closer." Then he sees one that is pink and white with lots of ruffles, bows and big fabric flowers on the top. "I can just see you wearing that one." he laughs.

"I'm afraid someone would mistaken me for a birthday cake and shove candles up my nose." I click on the next page and gasp when I see it. The dress style I want. It's strapless, form fitting bodice down to the hip and goes to the floor with a bit of a train in the back. It's gorgeous. "That's it. That's the dress I want. What do you think?" I ask waiting for him to find something wrong with it. He takes a moment looking at the picture carefully.

"I think you'll look fabulous in a dress like that. I can't wait to show you off." Now I just hope we can find one just like it. I turn the computer off and lean against him, pulling his arms around me to keep me warm.

"Show me off, huh? What happened to not wanting to attract much attention?"

"I guess after years of people thinking I'm nothing but a lazy, drunk womanizer, I want to show them that I must be doing something right to have the most wonderful woman in the world on my arm. The room is going to be filled with envy." he tells me.

"Yeah, but the jealousy will be directed toward me. You're the one all the women want, the young extremely sexy royal Moroi. If I'm not careful, I might actually die from all the death glares that'll be coming my way." He laughs, but it's true. I've seen the way women watch him with a look of longing in their eyes. "I think that in addition to telling our parents, we need to tell Tatiana before the Ball." I tell him soberly. Thinking about all this is making me extremely nervous.

"I already spoke with her today and she's happy for us. Concerned about the backlash, but happy. Man, I can't believe you two are actually friends, but I guess it makes sense. You both like to argue and you both think I'm the greatest man alive." I give him a playful elbow to the ribs for the last remark.

"Well, I'm glad she's okay with us. She told me she would support us if we ever got together, but I wasn't too sure she meant it. Why didn't you bring me along to tell her?"

"I needed to talk to her about your guardian assignment and why we didn't want you assigned to me anymore. We had a nice chat and decided that you will now be one of her personal guardians." Oh my god, I'm stunned. Only the best have the honor of being assigned to the Queen herself. I know I've proven myself to be one of the best guardians, but I never really thought I'd actually be put with the elite.

"Are you serious? That's...that's ...wow! When do I start?" I can't believe everything that's going my way right now. I'm getting married to the love of my life and I just got the most pristegious assignment a guardian can get. I guess the universe owes me for all the crap I've had to endure in my past.

"After Tatiana makes the announcement during the ball you'll start officially. I think this week you'll be shadowing another guardian, learning the ropes." I'm so excited now, I can't wait for Monday to get started.

"Can I tell people yet? You know, like my mom to butter her up for the big engagement announcement?" I ask hopeful. I don't know if I can keep this news a secret very long.

"No, you can't tell anyone. Not even your mom. Speaking of which, when should we call her?" He asks nervously. I get an ache in the pit of my stomach just thinking about talking to her.

"Actually, she's going to be here in a couple days. Lord Szelsky is coming to the Ball so of course that means she's coming too." I explain. "We should have Lissa with us when we tell her. She won't hurt us with Lissa there. She's always liked her." I strategize.

"No Rose. We need to do this alone. She's not going to hurt us. We don't need her approval to get married, remember that. We're just being curtious to tell our parents first. They can't do anything to us. We have all the power here." he says bravely.

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that." I turn in his arms and give him a chaste kiss. He catches me before I get comfortable again and cranks up the heat, claiming my mouth with his. It doesn't take me long to get lost in his kiss. I flip completely over so I am now laying on top of him, unbottoning his shirt as fast as I can. Once I get the front open, I move my lips down his throat and over his chest, tasting every inch of him I can reach. I love how everything feels right when I'm with him. Like I'm finally where I'm meant to be. His body trembles at my touch and he lets out a low moan as I have my way with him. It turns me on that I can make him feel so good. We spend the rest of the night on the couch, 'gettin' down'.

**3 Days before the Ball - still RPOV**

"Alright, Adrian. We're meeting my mom for lunch at the cafe, and then having dinner at your parents guest suite for dinner. Are you sure you want to do this? We can still elope." My stomach is doing flip flops just thinking about what today will bring. Adrian takes my hands in his and leans his forehead against mine.

"Rose, calm down. You're worrying about nothing. They love us and want us to be happy. When they see how in love we are, they'll all give us their blessing. I promise." he says and then kisses my nose, making me smile. He always knows just what to say to cheer me up. "Of course if I'm wrong, I already reserved two tickets to Vegas." he teases. "I'll meet you at the cafe at twelve. Have fun." he says as he walks into the meeting room. I turn around and head over to the Queen's quarters. I practice my deep breathing exercises to calm myself down. I need to concentrate on my training as the Queens personal guardian. It's a lot more involved than being anyone else guardian and I don't want to screw up such a great opportunity.

It's twelve o'clock and I don't see Adrian anywhere. I walk in the cafe and see my mother sitting stiffly at a table in the back. Her face is expressionless, that guardian mask she's spent her entire life perfecting. I wonder how long it'll take to crack that mask when she hears our news. I take a deep breath and walk over to her. Our relationship is better than it was when I was at St Vlads, but still not where I would like it to be. She's never really liked Adrian because of his womanizing reputation and always thought he just wanted to use me and loose me. So when I was assigned as his guardian after graduation, she had a big talk with me about how Moroi men just want one thing from Dhampir women. I know she was trying to give me motherly advise, so I didn't try to argue with her about how Adrian was different with me, that we were just friends. I just hope she can keep an open mind and see him as an individual and not just a royal Moroi stereotype. "Mom, it's nice to see you again." I greet her as I make it to her table.

"Rose, you're looking well." she says as I take a seat. She has no idea that Adrian and I are even dating, so this whole thing is going to be quite a shock. That's why I decided to talk to her in a public place, hoping she wouldn't want to cause a scene. "So, how are you doing? I heard about the raid and your capture. I'm surprised they sent a rescue team after you."

"Well, _they_ didn't. The Council wouldn't agree to send any quardians to retrieve me. It was all Adrian's doing. He got a team together of Moroi and their guardians to find me. If it wasn't for him, I'd be dead, or worse, right now." I want her to see what Adrian did for me so she knows how much we mean to each other. She looks skeptical, but doesn't say anything. "So, how have you been?" I try to make conversation until Adrian can get here. He better not be ditching me to tell her myself, or he's going to be very lonely for the next few nights.

She proceeds to tell me about a Strigoi attack she found herself in and how she and the other guardian she was with managed to kill them. At the end of her epic tale, the waiter rescues me to take our order. Adrian still isn't here, but I can't stall any longer without telling her everything, so we order our food. Just as our drinks are brought to our table, Adrian bursts through the doors, looking like an angel sent from heaven as all the patrons look in his direction. He looks around the cafe for us while my mother rolls her eyes when she sees him come in. "Does he always have to make a grand entrance like that? Honestly, he must be late for lunch date number two by the way he looks. I don't know how you can stand watching him chase after all those women." she says with a disapproving air.

"Mom, there has only been one woman he's ever chased." I tell her as Adrian finally makes his way to our table.

"Sorry I'm late. Tasha needed to talk to me about something, and she tends to ramble a bit." he explains as he takes the seat next to me. "Guardian Hathaway." he acknowledges my mother with a smile and then orders a hamburger and an ice tea, but before the waiter leaves, I add to it.

"And a glass of vodka." I look over to my mom who's glaring at me for the alcohal order. "Make that two glasses." Adrian looks puzzled, yet amused to my order.

"Lord Ivashkov." My mom greets back, seeming a bit put off that Adrian joined us. She looks over to me for an explanation as to why he's crashing our lunch date. Adrian sees this and decides to rescue me, once again.

"So Guardian Hathaway, any more exciting tales of from one of my favorite Strigoi slayers?" If Adrian is anything, it's charming. Even my mother has a hard resisting him when he lays it on. She retells the same story I just heard for her new audience. Thankfully the food came so I tune her out and concentrate on my chef salad. I always forget to tell them to leave off the onions, and spend at least five minutes taking them all out before I even consider taking a bite. Adrian sees me out of the corner of his eye and chuckles as he bumps my leg with his.

After my mom finishes her story, Adrian begins to tell her about the rescue mission at the prison. He only tells her his part, not wanting to mention the torture Stephan put me through. I watch my mom's expressions while he's telling her his story. She looks pretty amazed that they were able to pull it off and how they used Moroi to help the guardians kill the Strigoi. When he's finished, she doesn't say anything, but just stares at Adrian, and then me, as if she's trying to figure something out. "Why did you go through all that trouble for one guardian? You surely would've been assigned another right away." I don't think she's trying to be rude, although that's how it came out. I just think she's really interested to know why he did it. Adrian stiffens next to me at her callous words. He looks over to me to see if I'm ready to tell her about us. I nod my head.

"I went through all the trouble because if anything happened to Rose, my world would've ended. I'm in love with Rose, Guardian Hathaway. I have been since the first time I laid eyes on her." My heart swells as I listen to him declare his love for me to my mom. Her eyes go wide at his admission and she looks over to me.

"I'm in love with him too. I have been for a while even though I wouldn't admit it until recently." I told her. She still hasn't said anything, just looking at us with a scrutinizing eye. Adrian breaks the awkward silence with our big news.

"Guardian Hathaway, I asked Rose to marry me and she accepted." he told her calmly. I thought her eyeballs were going to fall out of her head and roll out the door with the expression plastered on her face. I'm holding my breath, bracing myself for the outburst. I see her gripping the fork in her hand very tightly and she starts to tremble a bit. My insticts are telling me to pull Adrian behind me to protect him from the threat that is my mother. I keep a careful eye on her, waiting for any attack. To my surprise, she takes a deep cleansing breath and slowly releases her grip on the flatware. She glares at Adrian for a second and the addresses me.

"So, how far along are you?" she asks, clearly irritated. Now it's my turn to be surprised.

"How far...? I'm not pregnant! We're just in love and want to spend the rest of our lives together. Is that so hard to understand?" I huff, not appreciating her erroneous assumption. She blinks her eyes, clearly taken aback. I don't know what her relationship with my father was like, but from his absense in my life, it must not have been good. I don't know if she's ever been in love in her life.

"Rose, didn't you listen to a word I said at your graduation? What you two feel isn't love, it's lust. After a little while, the novelty will wear off and he'll leave you for a more acceptable wife, a royal Moroi, no doubt. Save yourself, and your reputation as a great guardian, now and end it, before you find yourself pregnant and alone." Adrian's grip on my hand tightens so much, I think he might brake a few bones. I try to calm him down by rubbing his arm with my free hand and whispering in his ear.

"It's okay. I love you and know that isn't going to happen with us." I reassure him. I'm not really surprised at the way my mom feels. This is pretty much the same reaction we're going to get from everyone.

"Guardian Hathaway" he says through clenched teeth. "I can promise you that will never happen. Now, we told you about our engagement as a courtesy, not a requirement. We hope you will get passed the prejudices of our society and support us, but that's your choice. Whether you're a part of our lives or not isn't going to stop us from being together and creating a family." She looks a little stunned that Adrian would speak to her like that, but I love it. He takes the glass of vodka I ordered him and tosses it back in one smooth motion, before slamming it back down on the table.

"Do you know what kind of uproar your 'marriage' is going to create?" she uses air quotes.

"Well considering the way my own mother is reacting, I have an idea." I say sarcasticly. I get up, pulling Adrian with me and start to walk away.

"Rosemarie, don't throw everything you've worked so hard for away because of good sex." She chastizes me. I can't believe she just said that. I turn back around to face her.

"Mom, not that it's any of your business, but we didn't even have sex until after we got engaged. And it wasn't good." Adrian gave me a confused sideways glance. I squeeze his hand and continue. "It was fan-freakin'-tastic!" I say a little too loud as the whole restaurant goes silent and all eyes are on us. Instead of getting embarrassed from all the attention, I allow Adrian to pull me away with his arm on my waist and walk out of the door, our heads held high.

"Well, that went better than expected. At least neither of us has a black eye." Adrian says as we walk back to his apartment.

"Yeah, well, the night is still young. I can't believe we have to do that all over again with your parents tonight." I sigh. This day sucks so far, and I have a feeling it won't get much better.

It's dinner time now and Adrian and I are standing in front of the door to his parents guest suite. "Alright, since lunch didn't go well and I never got to eat my burger, I say we wait until dessert to tell them." Adrian tells me before he knocks on the door. I take my ring off and put it in his pocket since I don't have any in the dress I'm wearing. "Oh, and my sister Anna is here with Dylan and the kids." That's the best news I've heard all day. Anna and I get along great, so I'm sure she'll have our backs. His mother, Daniella, answers the door and lets us in. She greets us with hugs and leads us to the living room where Nathan, Adrian's dad, and his sister and her family were sitting. Anna's three kids, Roman, Kyle and Irene, run up to me and practically tackle me to the ground. I pick up the littlest one, Irene, and swing her around. She's two and a half and is the opitome of a princess. Everything she wears is pink and she loves dragging me and Adrian to play with her dolls.

"Auntie Rose, you came for my tea party." Before I can answer the child back, Dylan takes her from my grip and puts her back down next to her brothers.

"Uncle Adrian and Auntie Rose came to visit with us grown ups tonight. We'll be here long enough for them to come to a tea party on another day." he tells her, but she doesn't look happy about it. Roman, the five year old, takes her hand and leads her and Kyle to the back room to play.

"Before you go back home, you'll have to let Adrian and I babysit one night while you two go on a datenight." I suggest. Adrian grudgingly agees with me and Anna accepts with a little too much enthusiasm. Maybe I should've kept my mouth shut.

We sit down to dinner and make small talk. Anna and her husband ask Adrian all sorts of questions about the Offensive Magic Committee. She says that the more ways to protect her children when outsides the wards is worth looking into. Lord Ivashkov, as I'm to call him, just grunts here and there, letting his disapproval of the movement known. I cross my fingers under the table, hoping no one brings up the topic of the rescue mission knowing Adrian's dad will have a coronary about it. Unfortunately, it doesn't work, because Adrian let it slip about what Amy did using her earth magic. Apparently, they haven't heard the news of the raid, my abduction and torture and subsequent rescue. Adrian launches into the story, including parts of my time there. By the end of the tale, they're all looking at us with shocked faces and all for different reasons. Daniella is concerned about how Adrian could've gotten killed, Anna looks like she knows something is going on between Adrian and I, Dylan looks interested in the magic aspect, and Nathan looks pissed actually.

"Adrian, damn it! You could've gotten all those people killed trying to save her. She isn't worth it." Even though I agree that my life isn't worth losing many, it still stings when he shouts it out like that. Adrian scowls at his dad while fishing out my ring from his pocket and handing it to me under the table. I guess it's time.

"Dad, I happen to think Rose is worth everything. I love her and can't live without her, so I asked her to marry me and she said yes." He pulls my left hand out to show off my ring. No one says anything, waiting for Nathan to speak first. He slams his napkin on the table and stands up quickly, nearly knocking his chair over.

"What did you do, knock her up? That's no reason to marry the girl!" he yells. Why does everyone assume I'm pregnant?

"She's not pregnant and I'm marrying her because I love her and want to spend the rest of my life with her." Adrian says as calmly as he can.

"Adrian, it's perfectly natural to have a relationship with a Dhampir, but you don't marry her. A respectable royal like you marries another royal and has a family of Moroi. Keep her if you want, on the side, but don't disgrace this family by marrying her." I've never felt so cheap in my entire life. The anger is boiling up fast and it's my turn to squeeze Adrian's hand tight. I don't even realize what I'm doing when I shoot up out of my chair.

"I am NOT a bloodwhore!" I yell at his dad. Adrian grabs my shoulders and tries to get me to sit down. I thought my mom's attitude was bad. I reluctantly sit back down and let Adrian pull my chair closer to him so he can put his arm around my shoulder.

"Dad, you need to realize that I love Rose and I don't care that she's a Dhampir, or Moroi or even human. We are getting married no matter what you say. Accept it or not, it doesn't matter to us. We just thought you'd like to know before the rest of the world finds out at the Ball." His dad looks so furious, his face turned a new shade of red.

"Adrian, you're just using this poor girl for your own sick need to start a controversy and cause trouble." So now I'm a poor girl, huh? I guess that's a step up from bloodwhore.

"It really pains me that you would think I would do something like that." Adrian says as he gets up from his seat and pulls me with him. He walks over to his mother, who has been silent this whole conversation and gives her a kiss. She looks stunned. We say goodbye to his sister and Dylan and walk out the door to the noise of his father still ranting.

"I'm sorry my father said what he did about you." he apologizes to me. I lean against him as we walk.

"It's not your fault. I'm afraid we're going to get the same reaction from a lot of people when they find out. As long as we stick together, we can get past this and live happily ever after." I tell him, and myself, hoping to believe it.

**Thanks for reading. I know we just found out Adrian is an only child, but in chapter two I mention he has a sister, so I want to stay consistant. Anyway, review and tell me what you thought about the parent's reactions. **


	39. Chapter 39

**Last time I checked, I didn't own Vampire Academy. Maybe tomorrow will be different, but I doubt it.**

**Adrian POV**

Tomorow night is the Ball. Rose and I are both a little anxious about the reaction our union is going to get, so we decided to come down to the gym for a workout. Well, Rose is going to do more than work out. She's challenged my new guardian, Guardian Gates, to spar with her to make sure he's good enough to protect me. I tried to reassure her that he is more than qualified, but she's determined to make that assesment on her own. Actually, I love that Rose only wants the best guardians for me. It just shows how much she loves me and still has my safety as her first priority. I do feel bad for Gates, though. Rose is going to put him through his paces. I just hope he's up for it.

We walk in and see that the gym is pretty full of guardians doing their thing, when a mess of red curls gets my attention. It's my future mother in law. Oh joy. I nudge Rose and point in Janine's direction and Rose scowls. She was pretty disappointed in her mother's reaction to our engagement news. I grab her elbow and pull her over to at least say hello. We stand behind the small, yet deadly guardian waiting to see if she notices us, but she doesn't seem to, so I decide to start the pleasantries. "Hey Mom, how's it going?" I figure she doesn't like me anyways, why not have a little fun. She turns around with the same death glare Rose gives people when she's truely pissed. I swallow down the fear that's rising and take a step closer to Rose, just in case I need protection.

"You aren't married to my daughter, yet, so I would appreciate it if you would stick to protocal and refer to me as Guardian Hathaway,_ Lord Ivashkov_. Even if you do actually go through with this farce of a marriage, do NOT call me mom." she says so bitterly, you would think she was sucking on lemons. I put my hands up in surrender and both Rose and l walk away to the other side of the gym.

"She seems to be in a good mood this morning." I say as we walk. Rose laughs and puts her arm around my waist.

"Yeah, I wonder if she ever smiles." Rose ponders. We continue with our workout, not talking at all about the tomorrow night's event. As we're finishing working on the punching bags, which I'm getting real good at if I say so myself, Guardian Gates walks in. The Moroi he was assigned to died of natural causes and he was sent here for a new assignment. He's a nice guy, a bit of a flirt though. He's built a lot like Dimitri but has short blond hair and blue eyes. He's hasn't met Rose officially yet, but knows of her reputation for being badass. But from what I've heard around, he doesn't really believe it since the first he's seen her was when we rescued her from Stephan. He thinks that Rose's challenge is going to be easy. This is going to be very entertaining. As he walks over to us, I notice him checking Rose out with a smile on his face. I automatically put my arm around her and pull her close. Mine. I know jealousy isn't the most attractive trait, but I can't help it.

"Lord Ivashkov." he greets me with a nod, but his eyes go right back to Rose. I'm starting to hope she pummels the guy into the ground.

"Guardian Gates, this is Guardian Hathaway, my _fiance_." I emphasize the last part making it clear that she's not available. He looks surprised at that, which I don't really blame him since our relationship is far from typical in our world. Rose extends her hand and shakes hands with the stunned guardian.

"So Guardian Gates, if you want to guard my man, you're going to have to prove yourself by trying to beat me. I say try because no one here has been able to do that in a very long time." she tells him. He doesn't look worried though. Sucker.

"Guardian Hathaway. I'm sure I can handle myself. I have fifteen kills." he says as he turns around to show his Molnija marks. Rose and I quietly snicker at this before Rose lifts her ponytail out of the way and shows off her sixty some odd marks along with her battle star. His face pales as he starts to realize who the hell he's dealing with. Rose gives him her sexy smile as she turns to face him again.

"Well Gates, I guess it's time to prove yourself." He walks over to the other side of the mat and starts to stretch. Rose does a few stretches of her own, gives me a kiss and then stands on the mat ready to fight. A crowd has gathered to watch since seeing Rose fight is always something to see. I even see Janine walk over to see her daughter in action. Gates and Rose start circling each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. Suddenly, almost as fast as a Strigoi, Rose launches at him and lands a punch to the chest, sending him stumbling back. She doesn't let him recover as she continues her assult. In no time at all, she's got him pinned. The crowd seems a little disappointed is didn't last longer. Rose climbs off him and helps him up to his feet.

"How about best two out of three?" Gates asks. Rose looks over to me and I shrug, not really caring how many times she knocks him on his ass.

"Alright. You asked for it." Rose tells him and she gets in position again. This time, Gates is the first to attack, but Rose was apparently expecting it because she dodges out of his way easily. I can tell as they fight, Rose is taking it easy on him, letting the match last longer than the first. He does manage to get a few hits on her, but nothing too bad. Finally, after about fifteen minutes, she pins him down, again. When he gets up this time, he doesn't say anything about another round, just rubs his sore shoulder. Rose hands him a water bottle as she looks him over, deep in thought. "You're not bad, just need some fine tuning." she says to him. He looks like he wants to argue with her, but considering he's got many cuts and bruises and she's still looking perfect, he bites his tongue. "I'll tell you what, you can guard my future husband here if you agree to train with me twice a week." she offers. He looks from her to me and nods.

"Sounds good. You'll have to teach me that one move you used with your elbow. That was just crazy." he seems pretty impressed by her now, which is only natural. She is amazing, and I'm not just saying that because I'm in love with her. I see Janine walking toward us and tap on Rose's shoulder to get her attention.

"That was very impressive Rose. I see you've been working hard improving your fighting skills." Wow, I compliment from Guardian Hathaway. I look out the window to see if I can see a flock of pigs flying by. But, it doesn't last long. "Too bad you're letting all that talent go to waste by getting married and starting a family." My heart breaks for Rose who looked so happy just a second ago and now has a scowl on her face because her mother can't understand Rose's choices.

"Nothing's going to waste. I'm still a guardian. It's not like we're going to have kids right away. We have plenty of time for that." Rose tells her mother a little irritated. She stands there looking at her mother and sighs. "Mom, we love each other and we aren't ashamed of it. We shouldn't have to hide our relationship because someone might be offended. It's no one's business but our own. I just hope you can some day be happy that I found someone that loves me the way Adrian does." Rose takes my hand and we walk out of the gym, leaving a speechless Janine behind with her thoughts.

"I loved your speech. I hope you remember what you just said because I think it'll come in handy tomorrow night." I tell her as we walk through the door of my apartment.

"Ugh. Don't remind me. I don't know why I'm so nervous. I faced down a pack of Strigoi before but they didn't intimidate me like facing down a bunch of hoity toity rich royal snobs." I see her tensing up again so I put my hands on her shoulders and rub. A smile creeps across my face as I think of a much more mutally enjoyable way to relax. I lead her to the bathroom so we can shower and let the hot water wash away all out sweat, anxiety and fears. I slowly help remove her clothes as I trail kisses all along her now naked body, loving the salty taste of her skin. I find her mouth again and kiss her deeply as I lift her up and carry her to the shower as she gives a little shriek to the sudden movement. We don't break apart as we turn on the shower and step in, letting the hot water cascade down our bodies. After about an hour of kissing, washing and, other things, we get out feeling much better. Now, hopefully this feeling will carry us through to the ball.

Finally, the night of the Queen's Anniversary Ball has arrived, and not a moment too soon. I think the anticipation has been worse than the event will be, at least I hope. Christian was banished from his place and had to come over here to get ready while Lissa kidnapped Rose to get ready with her. She wouldn't even let me see the dress they bought for her. Christian and I are dressed in classic black and white tuxedos. The only difference, and clue to what the girls are wearing is the color of the cumberbuns. His is blue while mine is a steel color. Thinking back to the dress that she wore when I proposed is making me eager to see her. Finally Lissa calls to let us know they're ready. It's about time. Being fashionably late is one thing, but this is pushing it.

"So, how many punches do you think Rose is going to throw tonight?" Christian jokes. I laugh at his comment while silently praying it doesn't become an issue. Rose has been doing pretty well with her self control, but I think tonight might push her past her limits. We get to the door and walk in. My jaw drops to the floor when I see Rose in her dress. She looks more gorgeous and royal than most. It's just like she wanted, strapless form fitting to the hips as it flows nicley to the floor. Simple yet breathtaking. She has her hair up, showing off her Molinija marks. I think she wants to remind everyone how lethal she really is in a subtle way. She's earned every single one of those marks and I'm proud of her strength and skill and want to show her off as well. I'm going to be the envy of every man there tonight. I barely notice the other two ladies standing there, my eyes glued to Rose.

"You look wonderful." I whisper to her as I inhale her intoxicating scent. I hope this night goes by quick so I can have her all to myself. She smiles as I offer my arm and we walk over to the ballroom to face the music. We stand at the end of the line to be announced as we walk in. Tasha goes in first followed by Christian and Lissa. When we get to the front, I lean in and tell the announcer how I want us recieved. He looks over at Rose and back to me with the shocked look I'm sure will fill the room in just a minute.

"Now arriving, Lord Adrian Ivashkov and his fiance Guardian Rosemarie Hathaway." Rose looks over a little miffed he used her full name. Just as expected, the entire room falls silent as all eyes are on us. I lead Rose to where our friends and supporters are standing. I can feel the weight of the stares and grip Rose tighter to make sure she's alright. Standing so close to her I can see how nervous she is by the way her heart is beating rapidly, but you can't tell by the way she has her head held high. She looks around the room smiling at all the wide-eyed and disgusted faces.

"What a bunch of snotty stuck up cows." she says under her breath. After a few minutes, everyone goes back to their conversations, although I'm sure the topic has changed.

"We need to mingle. Are you ready?" I ask as I pull us away from the comfort of our friends. I figure if we're going to do this, we're going to go all out and not let the crowd make us feel like we should hide.

"As ready as I'll ever be." she says with a nervous smile. As we're walking over to Lord and Lady Lazar, cousins from my mother's side around my age, I see an older man with black hair and goatee with flashy jewelry staring at us. He looks familiar, but I can't quite place where I know him from. He has a smile on his face and he can't seem to take his eyes off Rose. I knew I was going to have to deal with men watching her, but it bothers me more than I thought it would.

"Hello cousins. I'd like you to meet my fiance Rose." I introduce them while I purposely stand in the line of sight of the old guy. I've always got along well enough with Robert and his wife Elena, so I don't expect an overly negative reaction.

"Adrian, I always knew you would do something to cause a stir, but marrying a Dhampir, ... didn't see that one coming." he smirks. I see Rose give him a glare out of the corner of my eye. "Of course not just any Dhampir." he says trying to save face seeing Rose's reaction. "but the most decorated guardian of her age. Very impressive." Rose relaxes a bit and smiles.

"Thank you. I work very hard to keep those in my charge safe." she says.

"Yes, I know of your reputation for being hard core. It just surprises me that you would end up with this bozo." Robert laughs, the rest of us joining in.

"It took me a couple years to charm her, but eventually I wore her down." I admit giving Rose a kiss on the cheek. We continue making small talk for the next ten minutes or so before we part ways. "That went well, don't you think?" I ask Rose as we walk around.

"Yes, Robert seems to think I'm too good for you." she teases.

"I've known that for a long time now. You already agreed to marry me though, so no changing your mind now." I stop and face her and give her a kiss on her painted lips. The shocked gasp of those around us doesn't escape our attention. I pull away and she reaches up and wipes away the lipstick that transferred to me. I look over Rose shoulder and see that same man from earlier following us. I see Rufus, or Prince Ivashkov, and his wife across the room. I know my mother would be disappointed if I didn't say hello, although my father would probably rather I didn't make myself known. I pull Rose with me in their direction. Rufus sees me coming his way and he starts looking Rose over. It's known to everyone but his wife that he has an eye for the young ladies.

"Adrian, leave it to you to start a scandal in the family." he says while eyeing Rose. Before I can say anything his wife, Olivia, interupts.

"This is highly inappropriate. You're an Ivashkov, and as such you should conduct yourself accordingly." the old biddy snaps. "You should find a nice Royal Moroi to marry and not lower yourself to the company of a guardian." Rose stays surprisingly calm during her rant.

"You do realize that Moroi men find themselves in the company of Dhampir women all the time. How else would you explain all the Dhampirs walking around." Rose explains with a wink. Olivia turns a nice shade of pink at this. Rose decides to see how far she can go with this. "I wouldn't be surprised if over half the guardians here have a Royal parent." she says gesturing to the guardians standing along the walls. I remember Rose telling me that Dimitri's father is a royal, but what really gets Olivia livid is when Rose turns her attention to Rufus. "Wouldn't you agree Prince Ivashkov." she says like she knows a little secret about him.

"I know where Dhampirs come from young lady, but proper people know to keep their affairs descreet." she huffs. Rose's cool is starting to fade as I see the anger building up inside her.

"So what you're saying is the Dhampir women are only good for fighting and fucking, as long as they keep quiet about it. God forbid they fall in love and find love in return. You might have to actually think of us as people." Rose says so loud our half of the room went silent as people around us listen in. Olivia is so shocked at what Rose said, she grabs Rufus and walks away. I hear someone laughing behind us and we turn to see that guy again. "Who the hell is that?" Rose asks me. "He's been watching and following us since we got here." I didn't think she noticed, but she is a guardian and that shouldn't surprise me.

"I don't know, but he looks familiar. Hey, there's my sister. Let's go ask her if she knows who he is." We walk over to Anna and ask her and Dylan if they know who the mystery man is. They look over and their eyes go wide with recognition.

"That's Abe Mazur. I think he came as a date of one of the Zeklos Ladies. He's not one you want to mess with. They don't call him Zmey for nothing." Dylan tells us. Rose and I both look back over to him and see him talking with a few people. He must sense us staring because he turns his head to catch us watching him. He smiles and nods at us. Okay, talk about creepy.

"I don't care who he is, he's annoying the hell out of me." Rose says as she takes my hand and walks over in his direction.

"Do you think confronting him is a good idea? I've heard of him and I don't think he'll like being called out so publicly." I try to reason with her, but she's still a bit pissed from her earlier argument with Olivia. Rose must look threatening as she walks over to him because two big guardians, and her mother, walk over to intercept us.

"Rose, Lord Ivashkov, I think it's time for introductions." Janine tells us as she stands next to Abe. Abe extends his hand to Rose who is hesitant to take it, but after her mom nods at her letting her know he can be trusted, she does. "Rose, this is Abe Mazur, your father." What the hell?

**Sorry to end it there, but there is more to come and I didn't want the chapter to be too long. So tell me what you think by reviewing. I love reading what you all have to say. Thanks for reading.**


	40. Chapter 40

**Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. You're too kind, but I love it.**

**I don't own Vampire Academy.**

**Rose POV**

"Rose, this is Abe Mazur, your father." my mother tells me. This has got to be a joke. I look at her face intensely to see if she's trying to deceive me. She has that damn emotionless guardian mask on, so I can't really tell. I look over to this Abe guy who's smiling at me, still holding my hand. After over twenty years of being absent in my life, he picks tonight of all nights to show up. What a coincidence. Yeah, I'm not stupid. I see what she's doing and it's not going to work. I look between the both of them and start laughing. I can't help it, but their little trick isn't going to work.

"Rose, why are you laughing? It's rude." mom chastizes. Abe just looks confused.

"Mom, do you really think I'm going to fall for this? Did this mob guy owe you a favor? He agrees to be my dad and is going to threaten us not to get married. It's not going to work. Come on Adrian." I say to them as I grab Adrian's hand and try to pull him away. I can't believe she went through all this just to keep us apart, or at least from getting married. Someone grabs my shoulder, and it's not Adrian. I spin around and glare at the idiot that dares to touch me. It's Abe. "If you want to keep that hand, old man, I suggest you take it off me." I growl. At least he's smart and removes it. When I look at his face, I see he has a matching scowl.

"Rosemarie, you need to calm down and listen." he snaps at me. Oh no he didn't. I'm about to tear into him when Adrian leans down to my ear, his breath tickling my skin.

"Rose, I hate to admit it, but I think he might be your father. Just look at him. You have his eyes and hair." I take a minute and really look Abe over. Well, shit! He does look like me. That doesn't mean I'm going to throw my arms around him and call him daddy.

"Alright, I'm listening." I say as calmly as I can. I feel Adrian's arm go around my waist, holding me tight for support.

"First off, I _am_ your father. I've been following your life from afar all these years. I'm very proud of the person you've become. I didn't make myself known before, because your mother didn't think my lifestyle was... kid friendly." he pauses. My eyebrows raise on their own as I wonder what he means by his last statement. "Let's just say that I tend to get what I want for myself or others through many different methods, intimidation being one of them." I let that sink in and I hear Adrian swallow beside me. He must be taking all this in too.

"If you think you're going to intimidate us into not getting married, you just met your match." I tell him looking him right in the eye not letting him see that he does scare me a bit. Adrian straightens up next to me, creating a united front. I just love that he knows exactly what I need to support me. Abe looks at us and starts to laugh. What the hell is so funny? You would think that if he has been following me like he says, he would know not to piss me off.

"Don't worry Rose. I have no intention of trying to keep you two apart. I know a lost cause when I see it." he says with a smile. Finally, a parent who understands. He might not be so bad after all. His smile dissappears though as he turns to Adrian. "But, I do want to impress that if you hurt my daughter in any way, I won't hesitate to deal with you myself." Wow, this guy is super scary. Now I see where I get the death glare from.

"You have nothing to worry about, Mr. Mazur. Keeping Rose happy and cared for is my life's mission. I'm not going anywhere without her." Adrian tells him with so much conviction, I can't help but smile. I see Abe smile, too.

"Good. Just make sure you do that." Abe tells Adrian. This is so weird. I feel worry coming from Lissa through the bond. I gaze around until I see her across the room looking at our little scene. I give her a smile letting her know everything's okay, and I feel her calm down a little. I should probably go talk to her.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Abe. Now that I know who you are, we'll have to talk more later." I say as lead Adrian away.

"Of course Rose. Until next time." Abe tells me. God, I need to sit down. We make it to where Lissa and Christian are standing. We tell them about Abe and they look just as stunned as I feel. There's an announcement that the Queen is on her way and we should find our seats. Thankfully, Adrian and I are at the same table as our friends up at the front. On our way Adrian grabs a couple champaigne glasses from a passing waiter and hands me one, which I quickly gulp down. This night is proving more stressful than I imagined.

"Slow down, babe. The night is still young." Adrian whispers. My stomach is still in knots, so I take his hand and lean my head on his shoulder. He responds my putting his arm around me, instantly calming me down. "You know, Abe being your father explains a lot about you, little Zmey." Adrian teases. I turn to face him and give him a glare, which only seems to strengthen his arguement as he laughs quietly next to me. "I think facing you, Janine and Abe together would have the devil pissing himself." he laughs harder. The image puts a smile on my face too. "I don't think we have to worry too much about people opposing our getting married with Abe on our side." Now that I think about it, if people are as intimidated by Abe as it seems, having him for a father is starting to pay off.

Everyone rises to their feet as the Queen is announced and walks in looking very elegant and regal. She sits down in the thrown at the front of the room. We all follow suit and sit back down. The room is silent as we wait for her to give her speech about the past year. I let my attention wane a bit as I think about how my life has changed this past year. Let's see, I reconnected with an old flame who is now a very good friend, I made some enimies, I almost died a couple times, I lost a dear friend, I finally killed Stephan, met my father and best of all, I let Adrian into my heart and I couldn't be happier. Adrian squeezes my hand, bringing me back to reality just in time to hear her speak of the raid and the loss of the four guardians that burned in the fire. I can't help the tears that fall as I think about Conner and how we used to flirt with each other and how I purposely stepped on his feet when we took that one and only dance lesson. I sure miss him. Adrian puts his fingers on my chin and turns my head to face him. He wipes away the tears from my cheeks and tenderly kisses my lips.

"It's okay." he whispers. I can't say anything with the lump in my throat, so I just nod my head. He again puts his protective arm around me and pulls me close as I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Tatiana then speaks about the 'field test' Adrian put together to get me out of that prison Stephan held me in. I can hear the murmurs around the room and a few curses from the out of date royals who still don't believe Moroi should use offensive magic. Then she gets to the part I've been waiting for.

"Because of the fire, two of my personal guardians have been lost and will be sorely missed, Guardians Chenko and Johnson. To fill the positions their absence has created, two of the finest guardians we have among us have agreed to take their place. Will Guardian Rose Hathaway and Guardian Dimitri Belikov please come up front to take the Oath of the Royal Guard." She announces. I can't believe Dimitri is going to be the Queen's guardian too. I quickly glance at Adrian to see if her knew about this and the guilty look on his face tells me all I need to know. I can't believe he kept this from me. Adrian stands up like a gentleman and takes my hand as I stand. Dimitri was standing at the back on duty, so I wait a moment until he reaches me and we walk up to the Queen together. I curtsy and Dimitri bows to her highness as the Moroi Court Judge walks over to administer the oath. The Queen stands to our side as we face the judge and raise our right hands.

"I, Guardian Rosemarie Hathaway, solemly promise to protect and defend our Royal Highness to the best of my ability, gladly sacrificing my very life to ensure the safety of my Queen." Dimitri repeats the oath as Tatiana smiles down on us. Applause breaks out as we walk back to where we were. I look over to see Abe grinning proudly and my mom even looks proud of me. It doesn't even compare to Adrian, though. He's out of his seat clapping and hollaring like a maniac. I walk up to him and pulls me in and gives me a big kiss, right in front of everyone. Well I bet you can guess the reaction that caused. With all the simultaneous gasps, you'd think a vacuum was created in the room. The Queen clears her throat and the noise dies down as I take my seat next to Adrian.

"That reminds me, congratulations are in order to my nephew, Adrian Ivashkov, and Guardian Hathaway on their recent engagement. I wish you two nothing but happiness." What better way to shut people up than to have the Queen herself give us her blessings. The music starts up and couples make their way out to the dance floor and begin to sway to the music while holding on to each other. Adrian takes my hand and leads me out to the center of the floor. The hand on the small of my back pulls me close against his body while he takes my hand in his other. I look into his beautiful green eyes as he sings along with the song as we dance. This night is turning out a lot better than I thought it was. At least the end is. As the next song starts, we're interupted as someone taps Adrians shoulder.

"May I cut in?" I look up to see Abe smiling down at me. I give Adrian a nod lettig him know I'd like to dance with him. "Rose, I knew you were an exceptional young woman, but...I'm just so proud of you." I hear his voice catch a little. I'm still not sure how to take this all in. He's at an advantage since he's known of my existance and has kept tabs on me throughout my life, where I just found him not an hour ago.

"Well, thanks Abe. How long are you planning on staying here at Court?"

"That depends on you, actually. I would love to stay for a few weeks to spend some time with you so we could get to know one another." he says with a hopefull look in his eye. How can I say no to that face?

"That would be really nice. As long as you don't mind Adrian tagging along. We both have busy schedules and usually spend any free time we have together." I tell him.

"That's fine. I'd like to get to know him too, since he's going to be my son in law soon." he winks at me. We continue to dance together for a couple more songs. I don't think anyone is brave enough to interupt Abe Mazur, except Adrian who just tapped Abe's shoulder.

"You've monopolized her long enough, Mr Mazur. I'd like to have my fiance back if you don't mind." Adrian says with a smirk as her looks at me. Abe graciously hands me over to Adrian who takes my hand and twirls me around and then dips me like he's Fred Astair and I'm Ginger. He lingers over me, his lips just out of my reach. "Finally, I have you back." he whispers and then gently brushes his lips to mine. He pulls me back up and I get a bit of a head rush which makes me giggle. At the end of the song, I excuse myself because I need to visit the ladies room, bad.

As I'm walking, a young Moroi woman passes by and stops me. "Guardian Hathaway, congratulations on the promotion and landing Adrian Ivashkov. Quite the catch, both of them." I'm not sure how to respond so I just smile and say thank you. "Oh, that bathroom is full with a line. Use the one down the hall and to the left. It's empty." she says and then walks off. Cool. I'm not really sure how long I can go before I explode. I quickly make my way down the hall and find the bathroom. After I leave the stall and walk to the sink to wash my hands, I look in the mirror to check my make up. Nothing too bad. I grab a towel to touch up around my eyes that is a little smudged from crying. Much better. The front door swings open and I see who enters reflecting in the mirror. Emily. Just seeing her causes my muscles to tense up, ready to fight. Man, I can't stand that woman. I don't turn to face her, but make eye contact with her through the mirror.

"Rose, you're sure the center of attention tonight, aren't you?" she says bitterly. Before I even have a chance to reply, my head feels like it's about to implode. Oh my freakin' god, this hurts so bad. I scream out as I grab my head and fall to my knees. I manage to turn to my head to see if Emily will help me, but the contorted look on her face tells me she isn't going to come to my aid any time soon. In fact, it looks like she's the source of my extreme pain, being an air user and all. I grab the sink to try to stand up, but black spots are dancing across my vision and I know I'm going to black out soon. I need to break her concentration so she'll let up. On the counter is little vase with some daisies in it. I grab the vase and throw it at her with all the strength I can muster. It seems to do the trick because the pressure has disappeared. I see her trying to use her power again so I jump at her and knock her across the room. She falls to the floor, but tries to get up again. I don't think so. I quickly walk toward her to subdue her when the bathroom door slams open. I look back expecting to see old Royal woman needing to use the facilities, but that's not what I get.

Charging through the door is Lord Conta and a few other Moroi men I don't know. It looks like I have my very own lynch mob. The four men and Emily all circle around me. "Guardian Hathaway, you sure have a way with fucking everything up." Lord Conta yells. "You think that just because you convinced a Royal to marry you that you're one of us? You're nothing but a bloodwhore and that's all you'll ever be. Just because you're one of the Queen's guardians doesn't mean shit. Dhampirs are bred to serve Moroi, and I think you need a little reminder of that." That doesn't sound good. I know I took an oath to do no harm to Moroi, but screw that. If they think I'm going to stand idly by while they try to touch me, they're sadly mistaken. My heart rate is picking up, readying me for a fight. I get into my defensive stance as I try to keep them all in my sight.

Suddenly, all the air around me seems to disappear. I figure it's probably Emily and I kick out and knock her on her ass, allowing me to breath again. This time, I punch her in the face, rendering her unconscious. One down, four to go. I see fear in one of their eyes as he realizes that I'm going to use force to defend myself. I go after him next. I grab his arm and turn him around and pin him to the wall while I have his arm against his back. He screams out as the bone is getting close to breaking. "Did you really think you assholes could take on a fully trained guardian?" I ask him as I apply more and more pressure to his arm until I hear a snap and he screams even louder. I let him fall to the floor since I doubt he'll give me anymore trouble. Two down, three to go. "Who's next?" I ask as I carefully watch the others.

I notice that while I was dealing with numb nuts with the broken arm, one of the others turned on a faucet. Great, a water user. I look around to see if I can see any water balls floating around, while keeping my attackers in sight. I don't see anything yet, but I don't want to be surprised. They must have used the running water as a distraction, because while I'm looking around, a wall of fire surrounds me. Oh shit! I can hear them laughing as I try to stand as straight and still as I possibly can. "You know Rose, you wouldn't be in this predicament if you just would've shut you mouth and come to me when I told you. It would've been a pleasant experience for the both of us. But now, I'm going to have to teach you a lesson." The fire is getting so hot, all the make up I had on has surely melted down my face with all the sweat I'm producing. Fear is rising inside me as I'm at the point I'll do whatever he wants just to get out of this inferno. "When we remove the fire, you are going to take that dress off. Whether you take it off yourself or we burn it off is up to you." Right now I wish my bond with Lissa went the other way so I could call to her for help. Wait. My bond with Adrian. He can feel me. I wonder if I can send him a message. I close my eyes tight and try to send out an SOS to him. I just hope he gets the message and comes looking for me.

The ring of fire slowly dims and goes out. I take a deep breath and fill my lungs with nice cool air. Lord Conta and his buddies are looking at me with smirks on their faces because they think they've won. Just the battle, though. I still plan on winning the war. "Dress off now." Conta demands. I reach behind me and start to slowly pull down the zipper, taking as much time as I can. I eventually get the dress pushed down to my feet and I step out of it and pick it up. I hold it in front of me, hiding my body. Lord Conta grabs the dress and pulls it out of my grip.

"Will you be careful with that? It's a one of a kind Versace." I yell at him. I love that dress. I watch helplessly as he just throws it on the floor as if it were a rag. Now I'm standing in front of them in nothing but my strapless bra, thong and heals. Please, Adrian, get your butt here now. All three of the Moroi walk closer to me, carefully. They stand so that I'm the center of their sick little triangle. The one on my right moves closer and makes the mistake of putting his filthy hand on my ass. My elbow meets his nose so hard and quick that now his hand is busy trying to keep the blood gushing from his nose from getting on his expensive tux. Hope it's not a rental. But before I can land another punch to his bloody face, I feel my arm burn and look to see flames licking up my body. I scream out as I try to pat the fire out with my hands.

"You fucking bitch! We're going to burn you so bad that Ivashkov idiot won't want to have anything to do with you." he rages. "Now fall to your knees and beg me to stop." I do as he asks when the most wonderful sound hits my ears. The door slams open and Adrian cries out my name. I turn to see him running to me when I'm hit with a wave a cold water, putting out the fire. That feels so good. I see Mia standing by the door, directing the water from the sink over to me. Adrian drops to his knees and grabs me and pulls me to his chest. He is breathing so heavily and murmuring something that I can't make out. He pulls me away and looks over my body and starts cursing when he sees the burns along my leg and arm. He places his hands on my body and heals away the burns. As he is finishing, I hear more footsteps coming up to the door. It's Dimitri and my mom followed by Abe. Adrian takes off his jacket and drapes it over me. Having my dad see me in this state of dress is embarrassing.

Dimitri looks around the room and his eyes stop at Lord Conta. The look in his eyes has me afraid his going to kill him. My mom must notice this too because she takes hold of Dimitri's arm and pulls him back. "You can't hurt him Dimitri." she says. Adrian helps me stand up and hands me over to Mia while he walks over to Conta.

"No Dimitri, you can't hurt him. But I can." he says as he pulls him arm back and thrusts his fist out and lands it square on his jaw. He gets in a couple more good hits before Dimitri pulls him back when Lord Conta starts to fall to the floor. I can see Adrian's chest heaving as the adrenaline is rushing through his veins. I run over and wrap my arms around him. That's my man. More guardians come running in and take them all into custody.

"You are all being charged with treason. An assult on one of the Queen's guardians is like an assult on the Queen herself. I hope you have a good lawyer." One of the guardians tells them as they lead them out of the ladies bathroom to a holding cell. My mom walks up to Adrian and me and gives us both a big hug. Saying I'm a bit confused is putting it mildly, but what really scares me is when she takes Adrian's face in her hands and gives him a kiss on the cheek.

"You really do care about her don't you?" she asks him. Too stunned to speak, Adrian nods his head. "Then I would be proud to have you as a son in law." she smiles briefly before putting her mask back on and walking away. Mia hands me my dress and pushes the the guys out. I put it back on so I don't have to walk out half naked.

"Thanks Mia." I say as I give her a big hug. She pulls away and drags me over to a sink.

"Honey, you look like a raccoon in drag. Let's wash that make up off. It's not like you need it anyway." she smiles while handing me a towel. Together we walk out with my clean face to meet up with all our friends. Lissa practically tackles me when I enter the hallway.

"Oh, Rose. Are you alright?" she asks with tears in her eyes.

"Liss, I'm fine. I just want Adrian to take me home now." My mom leads us to a back door to leave by so I don't have to go through the crowd. In fact, she walks us all the way to my apartment.

"Rose, I'm glad you're okay. I'd like to come over tomorrow and check on you, if that's alright with you." she asks.

"Yeah, mom. That'd be great." she nods and walks back the way we came. I open the door and head straight to my room and to the shower. I'm still sweaty from the heat of the fire and just want to wash the whole incident off me. I come out wrapped in a towel and see Adrian lying in my bed in his boxers, waiting for me. I put on a big tee shirt and slide in next to him. He doesn't say a word, but embraces me as I rest my head on his chest. I finally drop all my walls and let all the emotions I've been keeping in check come flooding out as I cry and sob in his arms. He slowly rocks me back and forth as he kisses my forehead and whispers soothing words to me as I let it all out. He always knows just what I need.

**Finally, Lord Conta and Emily will get their comeuppence. I hope you liked this chapter. The story is getting close to the end, and I want to give Rose and Adrian a great wedding. Send me some ideas you might have. I don't want to do traditional because I already did a wedding like that for Rose and Dimitri in The Chosen One. Rose and Adrian need something extra special for all they've gone through. Review and let me know what you thought of the chapter and any wedding ideas you have. Thanks for reading.**


	41. Chapter 41

**Thanks for all the support and the reviews. Let's continue, shall we? **

**Vampire Academy is not mine. Bummer, I know.**

**Mia POV**

Normally, I hate working these royal shin-digs. Walking around serving hour'dourves to a bunch of boring, self absorbed assholes is so mind numbing I almost want to kill myself. But tonight promises to be a can't miss event. Adrian is taking Rose and announcing their engagement. I so can't wait to see the look on all their self righteous faces. My friend Angela walks into the locker room I'm in getting ready, with an annoyed look on her face. "I can't believe I'm missing my favorite show for this. It's always the same old farts talking about the same old things, money and power and how they can get more of each. At the expense of us common folk, too I might add. God, I hate this." she sighs as she opens a locker and stuffs her purse inside.

"What show is it that's so important?" I ask her as I pull my hair back into a ponytail.

"Jerry Springer. I know it's stupid, but I can't resist a good cat fight." Oh, she is so going to be loving tonight.

"Well Angie baby, I have a feeling you're going to be very thankful you're working tonight." I say with a smirk. She just looks at me confused.

"What are you talking about, Mia? Do you know something? Spill!" she demands. Hmm, I could tell her, but I think she'll enjoy it more if she finds out with the rest of the room.

"Sorry, can't tell. Just believe me when I say you're going to love it." I say before walking out of the locker room.

"Bitch!" she yells playfully as I leave. I walk into the kitchen to see all the cooks running around frantically trying to get all the food ready for the guests. It's not a sit down dinner, but there is still a huge spread. I see my friend Mark barking orders on the other side of the room. He's the one that got me the job as a server. I had a bit of a crush on him until I found out he's gay. That's always the way it goes. The good ones are either gay or married.

"Hey Mark. I hope you could use a taste tester because I'm starving." I say rubbing my belly. He rolls his eyes at me because I always show up for work hungry.

"Taste away my dear. Just leave some for the guests or I'll blacklist you and you work around here again." he teases.

"Promise?" I ask as I place a stuffed mushroom in my mouth. Oh my goodness this is so good. I take a few more bites of various food before Mark claps his hands together to get all of our attention.

"All right people, let's focus. We're expecting a full house tonight, so we need to keep on our toes." He starts giving us our assignments on which area we're working on. I don't pay too much attention until I hear my name. "Mia, I'm putting you on drinks since I don't think I can trust that the food will actually make it out to the floor if you're carrying it." he says with a raised eyebrow as I stuff my face with a crab puff.

"Hey, wuffs that spos ta meen." I say with a mouthfull of food. He shakes his head with a chuckle along with the rest of the kitchen. Whatever. I get thirsty too. He sends us to our stations and I walk over to the bar with the rest of the beverage servers. "I don't suppose you'll let me sample what I'll be serving from here? You know, in case someone asks my oppinion on the flavor?" I ask one of the bartenders, Craig, with a smile. Unfortunately, he's worked with me before and denies me a drink. Damn.

The first of the Royals start to enter and we are sent on our way, trays full of champaigne or wine. Angela is also serving drinks with me and we walk together to the small group of guests. "I just know my ass is going to be black and blue from all the pinching it's going to get from all these old geizures." she says. I want to laugh, but I know from experience she's right. Most of these royal men think they can get away with anything, and do.

I find myself stealing glances at the door waiting for the main event to come strutting through the door. I'm trying to stay by the entrance as much as possible so I don't miss all the action, but my tray is empty and I have to go get more drinks. Please Rose, wait five minutes if you love me at all. I hurry over to the bar and plop my empty tray down and start drumming my fingers on the table, impatiently waiting for more. "Some time this century will be great, boys." I say to two busy, scowling bartenders.

"Mia, I'm going to say this once tonight. Give me any lip and I'll make your night hell." Craig says back. Touchy. I want to say something back, but I bite my lip knowing it won't help me get my drinks faster. I just give him my best smile instead and wait. I look over to the rear doors where the guardians enter and I see Eddie and Dimitri walk in. Oh shit, that means Lissa and Tasha are about to enter. And where Lissa is, Rose isn't too far behind. Craig is putting the filled glasses on my tray now, but stops before placing the last glass down. What the hell is the hold up? I look up to see a cruel smile on his face.

"Ugh, you're killing me Smalls." I groan as I look to him with pleading eyes. He knows I'm anxious to get back out there and he's purposely making me wait. I need to get out there. I don't want to miss a second of the ensueing reactions. I grab the tray anyway and walk off, leaving Craig still holding the glass.

"You forgot one, Rinaldi." he yells to me. I flip him the bird as I walk swiftly away to get a prime spot for the show. This is going to be great. Angela must see the ridiculous smile on my face because she gives me her 'what's going on' look. I give her a wink to let her know things are going to start getting exciting. She looks in the direction I'm looking and sees Tasha enter followed by Lissa and Christian. Their are a few whispers because of the Ozera's, but that's normal. I'm know Rose and Adrian are next and I'm so excited it takes all my strength to keep from jumping up and down.

"Now arriving, Lord Adrian Ivashkov and his fiance Guardian Rosemarie Hathaway." The whole room goes silent. All eyes seem to gravitate to the couple walking in. She looks so beautiful in that dress. Rose and Adrian are smiling as he leads her over to where Lissa and Christian are. I'm so proud of them. It doesn't take long for the silence to be replaced with whispered conversations about the couple. I walk by some royal bitches about my age as they attempt to rip Rose apart.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she's blackmailing him. How else do you explain it? Adrian could have his pick of any Moroi woman and he chooses her? Definitely something going on." I want to tell the bitch off, but I know I can't, not without getting thrown out on my ass. As I continue my service I hear the words bloodwhore and drunk womanizer more and more. Such close minded people. I'm starting to regret working tonight. I try to find them again and see an old couple talking to them. The woman looks rather pissed as she grabs who I assume is her husband and storms away. Damn, I should have been closer to hear what was said.

I turn around and come face to face with Jesse Zeklos and Emily Conta. She really did scrape the bottom of the barrel to get a date. This should be interesting. "Mia." he greets me with a twisted smile.

"Jesse." I greet back. Emily gives me a glare as we stand there looking at each other.

"That's Lord Zeklos to you." she corrects me. Is she for real? I guess she needs to be enlightened with our history.

"No, when you've seen someone naked and had them groaning your name in pleasure on top of you, you're pretty much on a first name basis. Don't you think, Jesse?" I thought he'd be a little embarrassed that I brought that up, but he doesn't seem to be. Instead he looks me up and down as if seeing if I'd be good for another go round. He's such a pig. Emily looks pissed, though. Good. That was the point after all. "Champaigne?" I ask as I present my tray to them. They each take a glass and I turn to leave when Jesse decides to put his two cents in about Rose and Adrian.

"I always knew Adrian was banging Rose. I just never knew he'd do something so stupid as marry her. I mean, why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free. Or should I say blood?" I bite my tongue so hard not to snap at him that I probably have puncture wounds. "Of course he's such a crazy drunk, no decent Moroi woman would have him." he adds while taking a sip of his drink. I look over to Emily knowing she was pretty desperate for his attention. She blushes a little but doesn't say anything. I walk away from them, not wanting to test my restraint too much before I say something I'll regret.

I see Eddie standing on guard at the back along the wall, so I decide to go say hi. Ever since the incident in Spokane, Eddie and I have become good friends. But for some reason, recently I've seem to notice how handsome he really is. At dinner with Rose and Adrian last week, he seemed more attentive to me. Maybe it's my imagination, but he seemed to look at me more and let his frequent touches last a bit longer than normal. Every time he lets his gaze linger, I get all sorts of butterflies in my stomach. I wonder if he's starting to feel something for me too.

"Hey Eddie. Found yourself a good spot to watch all the action?" I say as I stand next to him, looking over the crowd. I turn to look at him, waiting to see if he'll respond when he looks back at me. Slowly, I see the corner of his mouth pull up into a little smile.

"It was interesting. It's a good thing I took an oath not to harm Moroi or else a few of these old perverts would be sporting black eyes for their comments about Rose's attributes." I see his eyes wash over me quickly before he puts his guardian mask back on. He likes me. I'm about to ask if he has any free time tomorrow when the Queen comes in. Damn. I give him one last smile as I go back to work. I walk around the room while the Queen gives her speech, picking up empty glasses people have abandoned everywhere. After leaving the dirty glasses with the dishwasher, I go see Craig for a refill. I stand there waiting for my drinks daydreaming about what it would be like to kiss Eddie, when the sound of Rose's and Dimitri's names bring me back to reality. I hear applause but don't know why.

"What's going on?" I ask everyone around me.

"Guardians Hathaway and Belikov have been announced as the Queen's new personal guardians." Craig tells me. Holy Shit! I start jumping up and down and clapping at the good news. "Why are you so happy?" Craig asks while putting the last drink on my tray.

"They're friends of mine. Can't a girl be happy for her friends?" I smile as I walk away with a full tray.

About a half hour later, I decide that I need a break. I walk outside through the kitchen to see Angela already sitting on the steps smoking a cigarette. "How did you know Ivashkov is marrying his guardian?" she asks me.

"I found out last week. We're friends. Could you believe some of those old hags and what they were saying?"

"Well, I'm majorly bummed. I've been waiting for Ivashkov to notice me and come sweep me off my feet like in the movies for the past two years. I always thought I never had a chance because I wasn't royal. Now I see I wasn't even the right species. Who knew?" she laughs before taking another drag.

"Sorry Angela, but if you knew them like I do, you'd know they really do belong together." We sit together and tell each other they best gossip and rumors we heard. My break over, I walk back in to get back to work, when I hear loud male voices coming from the ladies room. I peek inside and see Rose surrounded by four Moroi men. I start to panick knowing Rose is in trouble. I have to find Adrian. I run back to the ball room and almost knock Adrian over as we collide.

"Rose..." is all I get out as he pushes me aside and runs straight to the restroom she's in, like he already knows she's there. I see Dimitri and Rose's mom following him so I join them. Adrian bursts through the door and runs right to Rose, who's on the floor looking like she's on fire. I see the water running in the sink and automatically pull the water and send it to Rose to put the fire out. Adrian has her in his arms in a matter of seconds. Moments later the others catch up and walk in.

I just know notice Lord Conta standing there and Emily sitting on the floor with quite a shiner. Man, I wish I was here to see that. Dimitri has a look on his face that scares the crap out of me. Rose's mom sees it too and pulls him back before he can hurt anyone. But not Adrian. He gets up and starts beating the crap out of Conta. Go Adrian. Yeah, punch him harder. Unfortunately, Dimitri stops Adrian's fists of fury too soon for my liking. More guardians come in to take Rose's attackers away. I so enjoy seeing Emily being cuffed and dragged out as I smile at her as she passes. Ha ha.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Rose's dress on the ground. It didn't even register to me that she didn't have it on. Well, she can't go around in her underwear, so I bring it over to her. I see her mom hugging Rose and Adrian and I wait until she leaves to kick the everyone else out so Rose can get dressed. I look her over and I feel so bad for her. She looks horrible with her makeup all smeared and streaked. We need to get her cleaned up before she scares people. "Honey, you look like a raccoon in drag. Let's wash that make up off. It's not like you need it anyway." I tell her as I pull her over to the sink. We get her looking like herself again and walk out to everyone waiting outside the door. Of course Lissa practically knocks her over when she tackles her in one of her hugs. After Rose reassures us all that she's fine, Adrian takes her home. I knew tonight was going to be exciting, I just didn't know how right I was.

**I hoped you liked Mia's point of view. I wanted to give someone else a chance to be heard. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review and tell me what you thought.**


	42. Chapter 42

**I've gotten a lot of wonderful reviews. It warms my heart to hear that so many enjoy my work. Thank you.**

**I still don't own Vampire Academy.**

**Rose POV**

"Come on, Rose, wake up. We have to celebrate." Lissa says as she pulls the covers off me. Luckily, Adrian didn't stay the night with me or this would be pretty embarassing. I groan as I roll over on my stomach and bury my face in my pillow, ignoring Lissa. It doesn't do much good though as I feel someone smack my butt hard. I look over to glare at the offender only to see Mia standing by my bed with her hands on her hips.

"Get your ass in the shower already before I spank it again." she threatens. I know Mia. My ass isn't safe here in bed, so I reluctantly crawl out and head to the bathroom. I can't believe I agreed to this. It's a week away from Christmas so Lissa thought it would be fun to do our Christmas shopping and celebrate the end of the trial that put Lord Conta and Emily in prison for attacking me. The trial was really quick since one of the Moroi that were there in the bathroom with Conta testified against the others in a deal with the prosecuters. It feels great to have those two out of my life for good now. Unfortunately, I still have to deal with Spartacus. The Queen fell in love with the ugly mutt and took him in when Emily was first arrested. She takes him everywhere and he's always growling and barking at me. He must remember when I locked him in that dog carrier. Who knew dogs could hold a grudge?

Now, Lissa, Mia, Tasha and I are going to a photo studio outside Court to finish getting our Christmas gifts for our men. Mia and Eddie started going out after the Ball. I found out first hand when I accidently walked in on them making out in the equipment room at the gym. Mia had a half naked Eddie pinned down on the pile of mats and didn't even blush when I caught them. Eddie did though. I still love teasing him about that. "Rose, hurry up." Lissa shouts as she pounds on the door. I can't help it if I like my hot showers. Not wanting her to actually knock my door down, I get out and dry off. I wrap my towel around me and walk out letting the stream billow out behind me.

"Here, I thought you might want your Christmas present early." Mia says as she hands me a red and white wrapped box. I rip it open to see a beautiful black and white lacy bra and panty set. "I thought you could wear it today if you want. I think Adrian will like it." she winks. The four of us have decided to get our men the same gift, sexy pictures of us. Not of us together, of course. Although I think they might really like that. Tasha was a hard sell since she's ready to pop, but I assured her that being pregnant makes her even more beautiful. It's true. I hope I look half as good as her when I get pregnant. Many, many years from now. Don't jinx me.

"Thanks Mia." I say as I put them on. I finish dressing in some jeans and tshirt with a sweatshirt over it. I grab the other lingerie I have and put it in my bag. Lissa has all the make up and hair stuff we'll need so I don't even bother doing anything with my hair and face yet. She wants to wait until right before we get photographed. "Alright, I'm ready. Let's get Tasha and get over there."

The three of us make our way to her place and knock. Dimitri opens the door and let's us in. "Lissa. Mia. Rose." he greets us as we walk past him.

"Hey comrade. Aren't you supposed to be on duty?" I ask him. Today's my day off but I thought he had a shift.

"In an hour. Where are you taking her?" He asks crossing his arms over his chest. He's gotten pretty protective of Tasha now that she's ready to deliver in a couple weeks. I roll my eyes.

"I can't tell you that, it'll ruin the surprise. Don't worry, Dimitri. I'll guard her with my life." I tell him looking him in the eye. He studies me for a second and relaxes. He knows I'll keep her safe. He's getting more and more nervous as the due date grows near. I can't wait to see how he reacts when the baby is actually here.

"Dimka, stop interigating Rose. She'll protect me just as well as you." Tasha tells him as she waddles up to the door. God, she's getting huge. Just like a magnet, my hand goes right to her belly and starts rubbing gentle circles. I bend down so my face is right next to her stomach.

"Hey little Roza. I can't wait to meet you, just not today. We have things do to." I stand back up and see Dimitri rolling his eyes at me. I glare at him as I walk out the door. Tasha is trying to leave but she's getting held up by her warden.

"Do you have your cell phone?" he asks her.

"Yes." she says.

"Do you have some snacks on you in case you get hungry?"

"Yes."

"Have you used the bathroom?"

"Yes."

"Did you go the feeders recently?"

"Yes, Dimka." she says getting irritated.

"Don't worry comrade. If she needs any blood I'm sure I can lure some hot young stud over for her to enjoy." I tease him as I waggle my eyebrows up and down. I just love giving him a bad time whenever I can.

"I'm sure you can. Just take care of her and bring her back safe and sound." he says with a bit of an edge. Tasha reaches up as best she can and gives him a kiss. He kisses her back, but he's still reserved. I don't know if it's because we're all standing around watching or if because he still hasn't let her have his whole heart. Hopefully he'll come around and fall completely in love with her.

It's super early in the morning for us because I didn't want to be caught without the sun since I'm the only guardian going. It would be too embarassing having a bunch of guardians watching us pose. We help Tasha in the front passenger seat and I get behind the wheel and we take off. Thankfully the place is only a thirty minute drive away. I pull into the parking lot of the T&A Photography studio. Cute name. We walk in and I notice all the pictures on the walls of gorgeous women in their underware while lounging on a bed or couch. I also see one picture of a hot couple. The pictures are very nice and I'm gettig excited to get my own piece of art done. We are greeted by the receptionist that looks really out of place. She reminds me of someone's grandmother and should be serving cookies and milk instead of working at a sex photo shop. "Hello dears. I''m Gladis. Do you have an appointment?" she asks us sounding just like Aunt Bea from Mayberry. I push Lissa forward since she's the one who booked our session.

"Umm, yes, Gladis. It should be under Hathaway." she tells her. What? I pull her closer to me so I can talk without Gladis hearing.

"Why did you put it under my name?"

"Because I was too embarrassed to put is under mine. Besides, this was all your idea." she whispers back to me. Well, that's true, I did make the suggestion. I just didn't think they'd agree to do it.

"Oh yes, here you are. Gerry will be with you shortly. If you'd like to start getting ready, you can go into the back room to change. Did you bring any props?" Gladis asks us. Props? Is she talking riding crops and handcuffs? I have no idea.

"No. No props. I just brought Lily and Daisy here." I say indicating my breasts. She smiles to me and marks something down in front of her. We four walk back and see some changing rooms and a lighted vanity to do our hair and makeup. Looking around further, I see a couple beds, couches and various types of chairs. I recognize a few pieces from the photos in the lobby. As we each enter a room to change, Mia decides to make conversation.

"I never pictured you one to name your boobs, Rose." Mia shouts. I know she's just trying to embarrass me, but I know how to play the game.

"Actually I didn't. Adrian did. They're flower names, get it? He says my body is like a garden that his snake likes to play in." I hear Lissa gasp at my forwardness.

"Rose, that is really too much information that should stay between you and Adrian." Lissa tells me from the next stall over. Mia wasn't done with the topic yet though.

"What'd you name his snake, Rose?"

"Kaa, from the Jungle Book. Don't say anything to him though. He'll kill me if he found out I told you guys." All three of them started laughing so hard, it's a good thing we haven't done our make up yet. I'm sure their faces are wet with tears.

About thirty minutes later, we're all looking drop dead sexy and waiting for the photographer to start snapping away. We let Tasha go first since she's getting tired and just wants to take a nap. Mia also gave her a sexy nightie for Christmas which she put on. It's blue and black and brings out her eyes nicely. Since she wants to hide her belly, Gerry, a middle aged balding man, has her leaning over the headboard. She looks gorgeous. Dimitri isn't going to know what to do with himself.

The rest of us do our poses and I don't mind admitting that we all look like goddesses. At the end, I ask Gerry if we can do a group shot. "Why not. Sounds hot." is all he says. He's a man a few words. Because of Tasha's belly, the shot is from the waist up and we have our heads close together, looking seductive with our hands on each other. Looking at the proofs, we know our guys are going to love these. We make our orders and pay Gladis before we leave. That was so much fun, I think I'll talk to Adrian about coming with me for some very private photos of the two of us. I look around and notice that while we were inside, mounds of snow have fallen.

"Alright, I'll come back on Thursday to pick up the prints." I tell everyone as I pull out of the parking lot carefully. I hear a ding and look down and notice that the gas tank is almost empty. "Shit. I've gotta get some gas." I pull up into the first station I see, barely making it before the car dies. The station is completely empty and the sun has just gone down. I pull the hose out and to start filling up when I get that nauseous feeling. I grab my stake and look around. "Lock the doors!" I yell at the three Moroi in the car. Dimitri is so going to kill me. I should've gone to a station with more people. I turn around and see five Strigoi walking toward me. I pull out my stake and walk toward them to keep them as far away from the car as possible.

"This must be our lucky night. It looks like we only have one guardian in our way of a feast." One of the males says. I don't say anything but wait for them to charge, which they do. Maybe for the average guardian, five to one odds are deadly, but for me, not so much. I let my training guide me and take two out within the first thirty seconds. One of the females manages to scratch the hell out of my arm before I staked her. Son of a bitch! I hate when they do that. About five minutes and a black eye later, I have all but one dead on the ground. I turn to see the last one running to the car and jumping on the hood. I leap in the air and take him down to the snow covered ground. We wrestle around a couple minutes until I see my opening and stake his heart. I get up and quickly get back to the car and get in the driver's seat. I call the nearest alchemist to come clean up before I even notice Tasha next to me breathing rather hard. She better not be doing what I think she's doing.

"Tasha, now is not a good time to practice your Lamaze breathing, so knock it off. You're scaring the crap out of me." I tell her firmly. They way she's holding her belly and he he-ing and ho ho-ing tells me this is not a drill. That last Strigoi must have scared her into labor. I figure the best thing to do is get her back to court ASAP. I turn the key and nothing. Damn, I forgot I'm out of gas. I jump back out to fill up the tank when I notice that the station is empty for a reason, it's closed down. Good going, Rose. I look out the window and see the snow coming down even heavier now.

"Rose, I know this is the last thing you want to hear right now, but the baby's coming." she says between breaths.

"Call Dimitri." Lissa tells me. Right, call Dimitri. He'll come and get us out of here. I dial his number and thankfully he answers right away.

"What wrong?" he says as a greeting.

"Don't kill me, but Tasha's in labor and we're stuck at an abandoned gas station with no gas and no way to get back to Court." I say in one breath. I hear him mutter something in Russian and it doesn't sound good.

"Where are you?" I tell him the street and name of the station. "I'm on my way. Keep her calm and warm. I'll be there as soon as I can." he says before he hangs up. Rude much? I tell Lissa and Mia what Dimitri said and we decide that we need to get her into the back seat where she'll be much more comfortable. As we're moving her, her water breaks. At least it happened outside right before she got back into the car. I go to the trunk and find a couple blankets stored in there for emergencies. Well, if ever there was an emergency, this is it. We get her settled in with the blankets. I'm getting nervous because it seems like the contractions are coming a lot faster than they should.

"Rose, I hope Dimitri gets his ass here quick because I don't think the baby's going to wait much longer." Lissa whispers to me so Tasha doesn't panic. Apparently making _me_ panic doesn't mean anything. Just as I'm about to say something, my cell goes off and it's Dimitri. Hopefully he has good news.

"Rose, the roads are closed due to the snow storm. We're doing what we can to get to you all. How is Tasha?" he sounds nervous and worried. I don't blame him.

"She doing good, but it's going pretty quick. I've never delivered a baby before and I don't really want to start now, so get your ass here pronto." I tell him before I hang up. Tasha's been pretty quiet up till now. She lets out a scream with the last contraction, scaring the shit out of me.

"The baby's coming Rose. I need to push." Oh no no no. Please don't do this now. I think I'm going to be sick. She gives another little scream and I realize that I need to be strong and help her. Lissa is holding Tasha's hand and coaching her through her breathing. I go to Tasha's other end and look down to see the baby crowning. Keep it together Rose. Do not throw up.

"Okay Tasha. When the next contraction starts, push as hard as you can for a count of ten." I tell her. Mia, who has been quiet in the front seat looks at me confused.

"How do you know to do that? Are you trained in baby delivery?" she asks.

"No, ER marathon last week." I tell her while never taking my eyes off the baby's head. Her contraction must have hit because Tasha starts pushing and grunting and the baby starts moving a little. A few more pushes and the head is out. One more push and the shoulders clear and I help ease her out. I give her a little slap on the bottom and she starts to cry. It's the most beautiful sound in the world as we all stare in awe at this little miracle. I hand her over to Tasha who starts crying as she looks at her little angel. I use the shoelace Mia pulled off my sneakers like I asked her and tied the umbilical cord tightly. She's so beautiful. We need to keep her warm so Tasha opens up her shirt and puts the baby on her exposed skin and then we cover them both up with a blanket.

Tasha starts to feed her daughter like a natural and Mia steals a couple photos with her camera phone and sends them to Dimitri, hoping it will hurry him up. I can't help watch this wonderful mother/daughter scene before me and imagine what it will be like for me when the time comes. I sure hope I don't end up delivering in a car in the middle of a snow storm. Knowing me, it will be something much worse.

Tasha and the baby are asleep in the back while Lissa, Mia and me huddle together in the front as we wait for reinforcments to arrive. A few hours later I climb over the seat to check on my patients. Tasha opens her eyes weakly and looks up to me. "When is he going to get here?" she asks.

"Any time now, I'm sure." I say again, like I have everytime she wakes for a second to ask. By the look on her face, I don't think she believes me anymore. I touch her forehead and notice she isn't as warm as she was. She's been using her fire magic to keep the baby warm, but she's getting too tired to keep it up.

"I need blood Rose. I'm too exhausted to keep using my magic." she looks down at her daughter who is sleeping soundly. I don't hesitate, but roll up my sleeve and bring my wrist to her mouth. The intense pain only lasts a second before it's replaced with euphoria. When she's taken enough to get her strength back up, she pulls away. Lissa heals the bite marks as well as the injuries form fighting the Strigoi and I climb back over the seat to rest. Giving blood always takes a lot out of me. I lean my head against the window and fall asleep.

I don't know how long I was asleep until I'm awaken by someone knocking on the window I'm leaning on. I have to wipe away the steam clinging to the glass to see who it is. Thankfully, Tasha isn't only keeping her and the baby warm, but the rest of us too. The face I see belongs to a very freaked out Russian guardian I know, Dimitri. Oh, thank god he's here. I open the door and jump out to see that he came in one of the Court ambulances. Well, at least he was thinking. "It's about fucking time you got here." I yell as I open the back door. I know he got here as soon as he possibly could, but I'm tired and cranky and it just slipped out. Dimitri doesn't even hear me as he rushes to Tasha's side. She pulls the blanket off and shows him his little baby daughter for the first time. I wipe away the tear that is rolling down my cheek as I watch him practically glow as he looks her over. He's going to be a great dad, and I know she's going to be one spoiled little princess. Auntie Rose will make sure of that.

The paramedics that Dimitri brought with him help get Tasha and baby into the ambulance and get them cleaned up and comfortable for the ride. The rest of us squeeze in and we head back to Court. "You ladies did a very good job delivering the baby." One of the medics praises. I feel a swell of pride knowing that we did a good job and that everyone is alive and well.

Once back at Court and at the hospital, Tasha and baby are admitted so they can run tests to make sure they're alright, Dimitri never leaving their side. I'm so tired I just want to lay down and sleep, but my desire to make sure they're okay keeps me sitting in the waiting room with Lissa and Mia. Adrian, Christian and Eddie eventually make it to the hospital a little while later. Adrian looks like he's been worrying about me as he runs to me and pulls me up and hugs me tight. "I think this is the first time I've come here that you weren't the one laying in a bed." he teases. I ignore the jibe and pull him down to the seat next to me so I can lean against him and rest.

Finally, a nurse comes out and tells us we can come see Tasha. We walk in and I see Dimitri standing by the bed close to her head, stroking her hair and kissing her forehead. Tasha is holding a little pink bundle and I can't wait to get my hands on it. "You can't hog her all day. May I hold her?" I ask looking at both parents for permission. They both nod and I pick her up. She doesn't seem to weigh a thing. I cradle her in my arms with Adrian looking at her over my shoulder. She's so beautiful. She already has a mass of brown hair atop her head and chubby little cheeks. "Hey, little one. It's your Auntie Rose and Uncle Adrian." I coo at her. "I just want you to know that if you ever get in trouble with your mom and dad, we'll give you a place to hide out until the heats off." I try to whisper the last part, but by the scowl Dimitri is giving me, I think he heard it.

"So what are you naming her?" Lissa asks. Tasha and Dimitri look at each other and then at us with a smile on their faces.

"Everyone, we would like you to meet Roza Olena Belikov." Dimitri says. I can't believe they did that. I look down at her face as tears roll down mine.

"Little Roza." I whisper to my name sake. I look back up to Tasha and Dimitri a little confused. "Why would you do that? And give me top billing too?"

"Rose, do you really need to ask that with everything you've done for us? Besides, we had a feeling you'd call her Roza behind our backs even if we didn't name her after you." Tasha tells me. Man, they know me so well. I see Lissa getting anxious to hold Roza so I pass her on over so Auntie Lissa can have some time with her. This little girl is going to be so well loved and spoiled by all of us.

After about an hour of visiting, we leave the new family alone and head back home. Adrian takes me to his place and pulls me down on the couch and starts planting kisses all over my face and neck. "So, has seeing that little baby caused your biological clock to start ticking away?" he asks between kisses.

"No, not really. I want to get married first and focus on being a guardian and wife for a few years first. Are you wanting a baby now?" I ask pulling away a bit to look into his eyes.

"No, no. I can wait. I just wanted to know where your head was." he admits.

"I don't want a baby right now, but that doesn't mean we can't practice the baby making part of it. You know, so we're ready when we do decide to extend our family." I say getting really turned on by the lusty look in his eyes. "Oh, Mia gave us our Christmas gift early. Want to see it?" I ask as he gives me a confused look at the abrupt topic change. I place my finger under one of the bra straps and pull it out so he gets the hint as to what the gift is. I hear a growl come from him as he looks me over. I sit up and get off the couch to walk to the bedroom. He jumps up and grabs my waist from behind.

"I say we unwrap it now." he says as we both run to the bedroom to enjoy such a thoughtful gift.

**Yay, Tasha had the baby and they named it after Rose. Sweet, huh? I know the delivery was pretty unrealistic, but we can just pretend it's that easy for the sake of the story. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review. **


	43. Chapter 43

**Thank you to all my loyal readers and for the wonderful reviews.**

**Vampire Academy belongs to Richelle Mead, who I am not.**

**Rose POV**

"Peek-a-boo." Little Roza smiles brightly at me as I play her favorite game. She's six months old now and looks just like her mother but with her father's eyes. Adrian is holding her on his lap in the living room while I kneel on the floor before them, hands over my eyes. Dimitri took Tasha out on a date and I excitedly agreed to babysit. She just loves her Auntie Rose and Uncle Adrian. I had a nice long talk with Dimitri about a month after Roza was born, and he told me that after seeing Tasha become such a wonderful, loving mother, his feelings toward her started to grow. I was so happy that I told him that I would take care of Roza once a week so he and Tasha can have some alone time to work on their relationship. Plus, I get to play with the baby.

Adrian suddenly starts sniffing the air and looks down at Roza and then to me. He picks her up and holds her out to me. "Auntie Rose, I have a present for you." he says in a baby voice. Every time we watch her, we flip a coin to decide who has feeding duty or diaper duty. Tonight, he got heads and I got tails. He must have a rigged coin because I always seem to get tails. I think next time, I pick the coin we use. I take Roza from him, grab the diaper bag and head to the bedroom to change her.

"I thought we agreed you'd save that for your daddy when he picked you up." I tell her as she giggles at me. I lay her on the bed and change her diaper, but before I put her clothes back on, I make her laugh by planting razzberries all over her tummy. Man, I can't wait to have one of my own. No, I take that back. I can wait. But, I will have one, or two. Eventually. I watch her laying on the bed as she yawns and blinks her eyes a couple times. Nap time. Sounds good to me. I stretch out along the bed next to her and put a protective arm around her. Her eyes softly close and her mouth makes little sucking motions as she slumbers. My own eyelids are getting heavy as I let them fall.

When I finally do open my eyes again, Adrian's sleeping face is mere inches from mine. Where's the baby? I frantically reach all over the bed, knocking Adrian awake as I look search for Roza. "Ow! What the hell Rose?" Adrian shouts as he cradles his stomach I accidently hit.

"Where's Roza?" I ask as I look under my pillow. Did I really think she'd be there?

"Dimitri and Tasha picked her up while you were asleep. We didn't want to wake you." he informs me as he pulls me back to him, snuggling close.

"Oh. I kinda wanted to talk to them to see how their night went. Well, I guess I can talk to Dimitri while we're guarding Tatiana on her vacation." I'm so excited about this assignment. The Queen is going to a Moroi resort on a private island in the Carribean. The hotel and ajoining beach have strong wards all around it for extra protection. There are going to be enough guardians with her that we will all have some time off to play on the beach. Adrian is coming too. I think it might have something to do with the tiny red bikini I bought for the trip. After I modeled it for him, he held me captive in his room for hours, not that I was complaining.

"Speaking of which, you have to get up early tomorrow and I need to give you a proper send off tonight." he says as he starts to kiss me all along my neck. He isn't actually meeting me at the island for another week. I'm going to miss him, but hopefully I'll be so busy I won't have time to notice his absence. Since I'm going to have to go without him for awhile, I plan to get my fill of him tonight. I work on getting his shirt off as his mouth finds mine and practically devours me. I melt into his kiss, savoring the taste and feel of his tongue exploring and claiming my mouth. We part only to rip the rest of our clothing off, freeing ourselves. He's pressing and moving his body against mine so sensuously that my desire for him is making me tremble all over. I feel like fire is erupting on my skin everywhere he touches me. God, he feels so good. The ache in my core is growing stronger with every caress and kiss that if I don't have him soon I might explode. I run my hands all over his strong back feeling the slick perspiration beginning to form as he shows me how much he'll miss me. We spend the entire evening saying farewell that I barely got any sleep. At least I'll be able to get some sleep on the plane.

We finally land on the island after many hours in the air. I was able to get a few hours sleep in the back of the plane, but now duty starts again as we walk off. As soon as I step off the plane, the hot, heavy air hits me like a ton of bricks. My heart picks up since my lungs feel like they're breathing underwater. I just know this humidity is going to be hell on my hair. I follow Tatiana down the steps as we walk toward the car waiting to take her to the hotel. "What do you think so far, Rose?" The Queen asks me as she looks around at all the palm trees.

"I think I need to visit a sauna just to cool off. I just stepped off the plane and I already lost five pounds just from sweating." I tell her as I keep my eye out for trouble. I see her roll her eyes at my slight exageration. Thankfully I get to stay with her and ride in the car to the hotel while Dimitri has to stay behind with some other guardians to get all our luggage unloaded and taken to our rooms. Being friends with the Queen has its privilages.

We got to the hotel, and all I can say is WOW. On the outside it looks like an old fortress that might have been used to fight off pirates. It's built on a cliff overlooking the ocean with the most beautiful and strangley familiar beach below it. I have the stangest feeling of deja vu as I look out the huge vista window facing the ever reaching water. At least the hotel is air conditioned so I can finally breath normally again. There aren't too many other guests since the Queen is here and she booked as many rooms as possible for security reasons. Me and three other guardians accompany the Queen on the elevator to her room on the top floor. Of course it's the most luxurious room in the hotel and the only one on this floor. When the elevator doors open, there is no hallway, but another door. I open the door for the Queen to enter while two of the guardians take up their posts on the outside of the entrance.

Her room has four bedrooms, hers, one for Ambrose, one for me and one for Guardian Spade. She's been with the Queen for many years and is my boss. She reminds me a lot of Alberta, so we get along great. Spade and I take a thorough look around the suite to make sure it's safe, which it is. This place is amazing. It even has a full kitchen, already stocked with all sorts of food. Maybe I can talk Tatiana into making cookies later. This is the first time I've guarded her on vacation so I don't know what she does to let loose, besides Ambrose. He's her consort. I've been on night duty back at Court, so I'm familiar with his relationship with the Queen first hand. If it wasn't for the fact I need to listen for any signs of danger, I'd suggest getting soundproof doors. No one should have to hear the things I heard coming from her chambers. Makes me shudder.

The next week goes by really well. Tatiana spends a lot of time with Ambrose at the beach. Just from watching the two of them together, you can tell that they really care for one another. No wonder she accepted mine and Adrian's relationship so easily. Adrian is supposed to arrive this evening and I'm getting rather anxious to see him again. I've been pretty much working 24/7 so I can spend more time with him. Tatiana doesn't seem to mind. Finally, the doors to the Queen's suite bursts open and her favorite nephew comes strutting in like he owns the place. Typical Adrian. Just about gave me a heart attack thinking we were being invaded. He's lucky I wasn't closer to the door or he might have been hurt. He walks right over to his aunt and gives her a warm embrace. "It seems the fresh ocean air is doing some good. You look wonderful, Aunt." He's such a charmer.

"Yes, this place has always done wonders for me." she responds. Adrian looks over to me and smiles.

"Pardon me Aunt Tatiana, but I need to say hello to my fiance." As soon as the words are out of his mouth, he is right in front of me, pulling me into his hard body and leaning down to reaquaint our lips. I've missed this so much. Even though we both want to keep saying hello, we part for our audience's sake. "So Aunt, how about a game of poker and a bottle of vodka to get this party started." I figured she'd blow him off, but amazingly, she pulls out a deck from a drawer and starts unwrapping a box while Ambrose clears off the table. Adrian grabs my hand and pulls me to the table with him. "You're off duty as of now." Another guardian comes in the door and takes my place by the window while I take a seat between Adrian and Ambrose. This should be fun.

The four of us are seated and Adrian starts dealing the cards. Ambrose tried suggesting we play strip poker, but I wasn't drunk enough to go there yet. "So Rose, have you and Adrian made any plans for the wedding yet?" Tatiana asks while Ambrose was shuffling the deck for the next round.

"No, not yet. We've both been so busy we haven't talked about the wedding much. The sooner the better as far as I'm concerned. I just want my friends and family to be with us. Everything else is just gravy. Of course, Lissa lives for the gravy so I'll let her do most of the planning. Now that she's out of school for the summer, I'm sure it won't take her long to get everything together." I tell her.

"Have you at least looked at dresses?" she asks while getting her cards in order.

"Yes, I found the one I want in one of the million bridal magazines Lissa dumped in my lap. I'll have to show you the picture later." I say as I motion over to Adrian since he's not supposed to know anything about my dress. We play for a couple hours, me losing more than the others. Thanks goodness we didn't go with Ambrose's idea or I would've been buck naked a long time ago, not that Adian would have minded. Tatiana lets out a yawn and we decide to call it a night.

"Rose is off for the rest of the week, right Aunt?" Adrian asks as I walk to my room to gather my stuff to take to Adrian's room for some privacy.

"Yes, she's been working all week and has earned a break. Just make sure you both attend the banquet day after tomorrow. I have important people coming in for it and would like you to attend." Adrian sighs, but assures her that we will be there. I have no idea what it's for, but I'm sure the food will be good, so I'm all for it. We spend the rest of the night making love back at our room. I hope I never have to go that long without him sleeping next to me again. I just sleep so much better having him so close.

The next day when we finally manage to get ourselves out of bed, we spend the day going all over the island sight seeing. He's been here many times as a kid and knows all the best stuff to see and do. We even take a zipline tour through the rain forest on the opposite side of the island from the hotel. It's so nice being able to walk through the streets holding hands without the stares and whispers like we get back at Court. Since it's getting late, we decide to head back to get some rest. The Queen's banquet starts at sunset, so we need to get up early to be there on time.

As soon as we get into the lobby, I see Lissa, Christian, Eddie and Mia. They must be here for the shindig tomorrow. Lissa sees me and comes running over to hug us both. "Are you having a good time, Rose?" she asks and I proceed to tell her about all the things we did today. "Well, since Adrian had you to himself all day, I think a girls night in is in order. You and Mia will stay in my room tonight. Christian and Eddie can stay with Adrian." she says as if anybody is going to argue. Sounds good to me. I haven't had a good girls night in a long time. I kiss Adrian goodnight and allow myself to be dragged along by Lissa.

As soon as we get to her room, she's on the phone ordering room service, massages, facials, pedicures and manicures. I'm about to ask what's up with all the beauty treatments, but I haven't pampered myself in a long while, so I keep my mouth shut. When the massuse starts working on my back, I think I died and went to heaven. I didn't realize how tense I was until all my kinks were thoroughly worked out. When it's my turn for the manicure, I was going to ask for my nails to be painted red to match my bikini, but Lissa insisted on french tips. Since she's paying for all this, I let her have her way. By the end of night, I'm so exhausted, I fall asleep during the pedicure.

The following morning I'm woken up to a very energic Lissa jumping on the bed. "Wake up Rose. It's going to be the best day of your life." she yells. Why does she get worked up over the littlest things? It's just a stupid royal function like all the others, boring. I open my eyes and look around and sit straight up in shock. Not only is Lissa and Mia in the room, but so is Tasha, my mom, Adrian's mom and sister, Alberta, Tatiana and Guardian Spade. They're all smiling at me like cheshire cats.

"What's going on?" I ask Lissa while looking at all the women standing by my bed. Even Adrian's niece Irene is here in a cute little white dress.

"You're getting married today!" they all shout at me. My mind goes totally blank as I try to comprehend what they just said.

"Wait...what?" I'm so confused. I think I would remember planning to get married today. I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone. Tatiana decides to explain.

"There's no royal banquet today. You're getting married." I sit there and stare at her while I let it sink in. I'm getting married today. Uh huh.

"Does Adrian know about this?" I can just imagine the shock on his face as Christian tells him. I just hope he doesn't freak out and get cold feet because of the abruptness of it all.

"It was his idea. When he heard the Queen planned to vacation here, he spoke with her and we all planned it out. You aren't mad are you?" Lissa asks. Mad? Is she kidding? I didn't have to do anything but show up? I love it!

"Are you kidding? I'm getting married today!" I shout in excitement as I jump on the bed with Lissa. Everyone looks very relieved I'm taking the news so well. As soon as I step off the bed, I'm thrown into the bathroom to take a shower. I quickly wash with a perma smile on my face. "I'm getting married today!" I shout in the shower. I hear laughter in the room as I guess they heard me. I can't believe this is actually happening. I hop out and dry off I quick as possible. I wrap the towel around me as I don't know what I'm supposed to wear. Lissa rescues me by handing me a strapless bra and a thong. She sits me down and does my hair and make up. I finally notice that she, Tasha and Mia are wearing light teal bridesmaid dresses, strapless, form fitting and falling just below the knee. They're very nice. I can't wait to see what dress Lissa found for me.

Finally, the moment comes to unveil the dress. Usually it's the groom that doesn't see the dress until the big day, but I guess we're anything but usual. Lissa unzips the garment bag hanging on the bathroom door and I just about fall out of my seat. It's the dress. The dress I fell in love with in the magazine. It's white, strapless, form fitting to the hips with a light teal band around the hips and then flowing down to the floor. I get it on and it's a perfect fit. I look fabulous. A knock on the door startles me as I see Abe walking in. Since I met him at the Queens ball about seven months ago, we've been spending time to get to know each other. I can really see where I get my attitude from.

"You look so beautiful Rose. Are you ready?" he asks presenting his arm for me to take. I take a deep breath and look around to all the wonderful women in my life that are here to support me, and nod my head. Everyone leaves before us as we wait a moment. "I hope you don't mind me giving you away. I know we haven't known each other long, but I really want to do this for you." Abe tells me.

"I couldn't think of anyone better for the job. Anyone who's known my longer would probably drop kick me down the aisle." I tell him as I take a couple deep breaths to calm myself. Reality is starting to hit hard. I'm. Getting. Married. Now. My head gets a little fuzzy and I feel Abe's arm tighten around mine as he works to keep me upright. I can do this.

We start heading out to where the ceremony is being held. I see rows of white folding chairs set up on the beach facing the ocean. The sun is setting on the horizon, painting the sky in the most wonderful warm colors. Then it hits me. This is the beach Adrian always takes me to in our shared dreams. This couldn't be more perfect. I see a minister standing at the front facing the guests with my bridesmaids on one side and the groomsmen on the other. Christian is best man with Dimitri and Eddie after him. Then I see him. I literally loose my breath when I see Adrian standing up there waiting for me to come to him. All the men are wearing short sleeve button up shirts to match the bridesmaid dresses. Adian is wearing white cotton pants while the others are in black pants. I meet his eyes and we keep our gaze locked as Abe leads me down the the aisle between the chairs on the sand.

After what seems like hours, Abe gets me up to Adrian and places my hand in his. My heart starts going wild at the touch of his skin. The minister starts talking but I can barely hear him as I stand in front of the love of my life, soaking in all the love radiating off him. I don't know how long we stand there looking at each other when I feel someone lightly shaking my shoulder. I look over to see Lissa pointing to the minister. "I'm sorry. What?" I ask him. He must have said something that I totally didn't hear. He smiles a warm smile like he gets my reaction all the time.

"I was just asking Adrian if he wanted to recite his vows." I look over to Adrian who clears his throat and squeezes my hands tighter.

"Rose, to say that I love you doesn't even scratch the surface to how I feel about you. You are everything to me. Your love sustains me more than the air I breath, blood I drink or food I consume. The first time I saw you smile, I knew you were the only woman for me. I promise to spend the rest of my life keeping that smile on your face for the simple fact that I can't live without it. Your happiness and well being are the only thing that matters to me and I promise to spend the rest of my life loving you and taking care of you with every fiber of my being. I love you Rose." I reach up and wipe away the tears that are falling down his face as he confesses his love to me. I've never heard anything more beautiful in my life. Then I realize that it's my turn, but since I just found about this a couple hours ago, I don't have anything prepared. So I guess I just have to wing it.

"Adrian, you're my best friend and the great love of my life. No one else on this planet makes me feel more loved and cared for than you do and I'm so grateful that you were so persistant and didn't give up on me. Thank you for fighting for me. I promise to spend the rest of my life showing you just how much I love you and appreciate you. I love you Adrian." I pledge through tears that he wipes away as his hand tenderly cups my cheek. We finish the ceremony by exchanging rings, doing the I do's and ending with the kiss. And what a kiss it is. Adrian pulls me close to him dips me low with the flair of a movie star just as the sun dips below the horizon and kisses me with so much passion and love, I feel like I might pass out.

"May I present to you. Mr. and Mrs. Ivashkov." the minister announces as we stand side by side facing all our loved ones and supporters. Applause erupts as we walk back down the aisle as husband and wife. I love the sound of that.

**Well, what did you think of their wedding? Were you surprised like Rose? Thanks for reading and don't forget to review.**


	44. Chapter 44 Epilouge

**I wish I could claim to own Vampire Academy, but I can't, so I won't. **

**Adrian POV - Rose and Adrian's 5th Aniversary**

"You did tell this artist guy that you were coming, right?" Guardian Gates asks me while we stand in the middle of an art gallery, waiting for the artist to meet me. His name is Bob Rutter and I saw some of his work at a showing of different artists that I took Rose to a couple years ago. He specializes in wood carvings. I noticed that Rose seemed to linger at quite a few of his pieces, so I had an idea to commision a sculpture for our fifth anniversary, which is today. The fifth anniversary gift is wood, you know. I haven't seen it yet, but I told him what I wanted, a representation of the two of us together. As I wander around the studio looking at his other pieces, I see carvings of fish, bears, and other animals and start to wonder if I made a mistake in using him. I hope he doesn't give me a couple wooden bunnies rubbing noses or I'll be pissed.

Finally, after ten minutes of walking around, he comes out of the back area, all dusty and dirty like he's been working, and greets me and my guardian. "Sorry to keep you waiting Mr. Ivashkov." he says as he extends his hand to me. Bob is human so I didn't use my title during our intitial introductions. "I've got it all finished for you. I hope you like it." he walks over to the counter as we follow to see a large cloth draped over what I assume is Rose's gift. "I think this is my favorite piece I've ever done." He pulls off the cloth and I gasp when I see it. It's so beautiful. It's a large piece of driftwood that has the image of two nude lovers laying down, kissing in an embrace. Her hair is flowing down and merges with the rest of the wood. It looks like just like Rose and I posed for this.

"It truely is a thing of beauty, Mr. Rutter. My wife will absolutely love it." I tell him, not able to take my eyes of the work of art. He puts it in a box and even gift wraps it for me. We say goodbye and jump in the car and race home. Rose is making dinner for me and she'll be pretty upset if I'm late.

We get back to Court with ten minutes to spare. I grab the box and quickly high tail it to our apartment and let myself in. I try to be quiet so I can hide the gift to surprise her after dinner. Thankfully, Rose seems busy in the kitchen and doesn't notice I've come home. I peek in the kitchen after I have her present hidden to see her cooking away looking sexy as ever. She's wearing a short red dress with red high heel shoes that make her legs look luscious, and an apron over her dress. Her hair is up in a messy bun showing off her lovely neck that is just begging me to come show it some love, so I do. I walk up behind her, wrap my arms around her waist and start planting kisses all along her neck and shoulder. I feel her melt into me as she moves her head to the side to give me more access. "I was getting worried you were going to ditch me tonight." she says a little breathless as I let my hands wonder down her hips and thighs.

"Nothing could keep me from spending this night with you." I tell her as I turn her around and kiss her soundly. She replies by putting her hands to the back of my head and pulling me down to deepen the kiss. Even after five years of marriage, Rose can still light me on fire with just one touch. All the love I feel for her comes washing over me like a tidal wave and I cling to her tighter just to keep from falling to the floor. How did I ever get so lucky as to get Rose to marry me?

After another five minutes of making out in the kitchen, Rose pushes me away and walks me to the dining room and sits me down. The table is made up with candles and the good china we got as a wedding gift from my parents. My dad still isn't thrilled about our marriage, but at least he's stopped calling her 'that Dhampir' and calls her by her given name instead. Rose brings out the food and I'm so hungry that when the aroma hits me, I automatically start drooling. "For your enjoyment, we have baby back ribs with baby peas and baby carrots. And for dessert, Baby Ruth candy bars." she smiles at me. What an odd combination. Whatever, it smells good. I fill my plate and start eating when the strangest thought crosses my mind.

"Rose, is there a reason all the food has 'baby' in it?" she nods her head excitedly with the biggest smile on her face.

"Adrian, we're going to have a baby. I'm two months pregnant." she squeels. Oh. My. God. I'm going to be a daddy. We've been trying to conceive for a few months now. I guess it worked. I look at Rose more carefully now to see if I can tell by looking at her. My eyes graze over her and stop at her stomach. I get up from my chair and kneel down in front of her and put my hands on her flat stomach. She isn't far enough along yet to notice my child growing inside her, but that doesn't stop me from kissing her belly all over.

"Hey there little one. It's your daddy. God, I love you so much already and I just found out about you." I rest my ear against her trying to hear anything while Rose runs her hands through my hair. I am officially the luckiest man in the world.

**Rose POV - five years later**

"Conner Ibrahim Ivashkov, get your butt down here this instant young man!" I shout for my oldest child. Demon would be a better description sometimes. He comes bounding down the stairs and stops at the bottom step and peers around the wall.

"Yes momma?" he asks so innocently. Conner is the spitting image of Adrian but has my attitude and wild side. God help us.

"Conner, why is your sister's face all different colors?" My two year old daughter Tatiana, who is my mini me with my brown hair and eyes, is smiling up at me proudly with red permanent marker on her lips and cheeks and blue and green on her eyelids. I know it permanent because the damn stuff won't wash off. She looks like a derranged clown.

"Tati said she wanted to look pretty like you but you said to never get into your make up. So we didn't. Are you mad momma?" He gives me that wounded puppy dog look and it's hard to stay mad at him. I look down at my rainbow colored daughter, smiling up at me like she's the most beautiful girl in the world, and sigh.

"Conner, you know that markers are only for paper. Go get the markers and bring them to me." I tell him. He scowls at me knowing he's not getting away unscathed and stomps back up stairs. Since we had him, we've moved into a nice four bedroom house on the other side of Court. Lissa and Christian and their twin six year old daughters live next door. They got married about a year after Adrian and I. Their daughters, Natasha Rose and Lily Rose Dragomir, are the spitting image of Lissa but with Christians blue eyes. Unfortunately they both have their dad's sarcastic nature.

Dimitri and Tasha also live by us. They've added a son to their family, Ivan, who's six and looks just like Tasha. He's very serious all the time and reminds me so much of Dimitri. Roza is ten now and is such a help with all the kids. Mia and Eddie were together for about six months before they decided they were better as friends. Mia is now married to Dr Brown and has a little girl Tatiana's age, Darla. They met when I was injured in a Strigoi attack. Mia came to visit me and when she saw my favorite doctor, she was hooked. Eddie is a confirmed bachalor, making the rounds with all the single guardians here at court. We used to give him a bad time about finding someone to settle down with, but he's happy so we've all backed off.

Conner brings me the markers and I send him to his time out chair while I put the markers up and out of reach. Suddenly, I feel a cramp in my lower abdomin and grab ahold of the counter and take deep breaths. I hate these Braxton Hicks contractions. I've been having them all morning. I walk to the fridge to start lunch for the kids when Tatiana comes dancing in.

"Momma, I'm a princess." she informs me. "And you a queen and daddy's a king."

"And what about Conner? What is he?" I ask like I always do. We've played this game many, many times.

"Conner's a troll." she smiles. That's a new one. Usually he's a dragon. I put the cheese on the counter and I'm hit with another cramp. Damn it! Next thing I know, I feel some pressure and then see water covering the floor beneath me.

"Oh shit!" This is it.

"Mommy, you spilled." my sweet girl tells me while pointing to my feet.

"Conner, can you come here, honey?" I yell. He comes walks in and stops in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Yeah?" he asks with such attitude I sometimes I wonder if I'm going to survive his teenage years, or actually if he'll survive.

"Honey, the baby has decided it wants to come out now. Can you run next door and get Uncle Christian to come over here please while I call your father?" I ask as calmly as I can. Poor Conner's eyes go wide as he sees the puddle underneath me before he sprints out the door. Lissa works with the queen getting groomed to take over one day while Christian stays home with the girls when not out on Strigoi raids.

I dial Adrian's number and try to breath through another contraction when he picks up. "Hello, Rose?" I can't say anything at the moment because the pain has gotten worse since my water broke. I see Tatiana looking at me so I hand her the phone to talk to her father.

"Hi Daddy. Mommy's leaking and Conner made me look like a princess." she tells him before I'm able to take the phone back.

"I'm in labor. Get your ass over here and get me to the hospital." I pant before hanging up. I want to go change out of my wet pants before we go, but my bedroom is upstairs and climbing steps is increasingly difficult since the baby's dropped lower. It takes me about a minute just to get up two steps. I look up the stair case and sigh. It's going to take forever. Then I have to get back down. I look over to my daughter for help. "Tati, honey, can you go upstairs and get mommy another pair of shorts and some underwear?" I ask desperately. She nods and heads to my room.

While I'm waiting for her, Christian and the three kids come running in. "Rose, Conner says the baby's coming. What do you want me to do?" he looks a little panicked.

"I called Adrian, so he should be here soon. Can you watch the kids for me?" I ask as I try to breath through another contraction. They're a lot closer together than they should be. This baby wants out now. I'm sitting down on the step with Christian hovering over me uselessly when Tatiana comes bounding down the steps with one of my sexy black panties I can't fit into right now and workout shorts.

"Here momma." she hands me the clothes and I see Christian smirk as he sees what she brought.

"Thanks baby." I tell her. She tried. About ten minutes and many contractions later, Adrian comes flying through the door like his ass is on fire.

"Rose!" he shouts before seeing me sitting right in front of him. "Come on." he says while he and Christian help me up to my feet. Conner brings me my overnight bag and follows us to the car. Adrian speeds through the streets to the hospital getting there in record time. We get a room and Adrian feeds me ice chips and holds my hand during contractions like he did with the other two. "You're doing great Rose." he repeats over and over. God, he's getting on my nerves.

"Adrian, I love you with all my heart, but if you don't shut the hell up I'm going to shove my fist down your throat." I warn him. Thankfully he listens and stops talking. A few minutes later my doctor comes in to check to see how far along I am.

"Alright Rose. It looks like this one is anxious to meet you. It's time to start pushing." she says.

"Already? Oh man." I'm already exhausted. Adrian helps me sit up a bit and holds one of my legs while a nurse has the other. I start pushing and about ten minutes later, I hear the wonderful sound of my baby crying. That's the most welcoming sound ever. The doctor places the baby on my stomach while Adrian cuts the cord. It's so unfair that I go through hell and his part is so easy. I look over my gooey baby and see that it's a little boy. A nurse takes him to get him cleaned up and measured while the doctor finishes getting me put back together again. Adrian is right next to my head as he holds my hand and strokes my hair, all while never taking his eyes off the baby.

"Rose," he whispers as he kisses me gently. "Thank you for giving me another son." I smile up at him. He looks so happy as he looks at me. "I'll give you a little time to recover before we start working on another daughter." he teases. My eyes go wide as I take in what he said. If he thinks I'm going through this again, he's got another thing coming.

"Yo doctor." I yell to across the room. My doctor looks over to us with a smile on her face. I point to Adrian. "Unzip it, grip it and snip it." I look over to a shocked Adrian. "I don't think I want to do this again. We have three now. A boy, a girl and an extra." I smile. He rolls his eyes at me and kisses my forehead.

A few hours later, all our friends and family come to see the new baby. After he was washed up, we could see that he has my mothers red hair. The first person I thought of was Mason, so we named him Mason Nathan Ivashkov. My father in law took his sweet time coming around, but after Conner was born, he fell in love with his grandson and finally accepted me into the family. Little Tatiana has him wrapped around her finger.

Lissa brought Conner and Tatiana to the hospital to meet their new brother. Of course they were fighting as they walked in, but as soon as they saw the baby, they ran over to see him. Adrian picked up Tati so she could see better and Conner climbed in and sat next to me. "Oh thank you momma. I didn't want another sister." he confesses. I laugh as I give him a kiss on his cheek as he looks at his brother in amazement. I don't have Mason long when Lissa gets ahold of him.

Adrian leans down and kisses me on the temple with Tati on his hip. "Happy tenth anniversary, Mrs Ivashkov." he says. Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I kiss him back and hold his hand tight. It's been the most amazing ten years. And with all my friends and family around us, I can't wait to see what the next ten years bring.

**The End**

**I would like to sincerely thank everyone who have read and reviewed my story. I had a blast writing it and hope you had fun reading it as well. I would love it if you could leave me one last review letting me know what your most memorable part of the story was. Thank you again for your support.**


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